Telangana families seek help for four men allegedly forced into Russian military

Families of four men from Telangana, India, have appealed to the state government for urgent assistance to repatriate their relatives from Russia. The men—Bhukya Ravinder, Sirshu Ashok, Megavath Prakash, and Mohammed Afzal Khan—reportedly traveled to Russia approximately seven months ago after being promised well-paid civilian jobs in an oil company.

The families allege that the men were deceived by agents. After their salaries were reportedly withheld, they were induced to join the Russian military and have since been deployed to war zones in Russia-occupied Ukraine. One family reported receiving distress messages, while another noted that a relative’s phone had been confiscated after he reached a military camp.

In response, Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, the state-level CM Pravasi Prajavani in-charge, has directed NRI officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow. The government aims to secure the release and safe return of the men through diplomatic intervention.