Asfan Mohammed, a 31-year-old store manager in India, dreamt of a better life for his wife and two young children. Dissatisfied with his job and failing an English language test that could have led him to Australia, Asfan saw an opportunity in Russia. Lured by recruiters promising high-paying jobs, he travelled there in November 2023.

However, Asfan's dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Instead of a civilian job, he found himself recruited into the Russian military and deployed to the warzone in Ukraine. In March, the Indian embassy confirmed Asfan's death to his family.

Asfan's story is not unique. Reports suggest several Indians have been deceived into fighting in Ukraine. The family blames the recruiters who exploited Asfan's dreams and is now struggling to cope with the loss. The war in Ukraine, far from home, has left a deep scar on this Indian family.

While Indian law doesn't restrict citizens from joining foreign militaries, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently exposed a dark side to this freedom. In early March, they uncovered human trafficking rings tricking Indian men into combat roles for Russia in Ukraine.

“The trafficked Indian Nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes,” the CBI statement said.

According to CCN, “Russia has been sending thousands of foreign men to fight in Ukraine since Putin ordered the invasion. Many of them are young men from South Asia, enticed by the prospect of steady employment and higher salaries in Russia. In Nepal, prominent opposition lawmaker and former foreign minister Bimala Rai Paudyal told parliament earlier this year that between 14,000 and 15,000 Nepalis were fighting on the front lines, citing testimony from men returning from Russia.