Authorities in Gujarat have confirmed the identity of a 22-year-old Indian national, Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, who surrendered to Ukrainian forces after serving with the Russian military. Hussein, a resident of Morbi town, had initially traveled to Russia several years ago for higher education.
Attempts to reach Mr. Hussein’s family at their home in Morbi’s Kalika plot area were met with silence. His mother declined to comment and subsequently departed for an undisclosed location, leaving the house locked.
Inspector General of Rajkot Range, Ashok Kumar Yadav, revealed details from a preliminary investigation: “Sahil (Hussein) was a Morbi resident who went to Russia for studies several years ago. We also discovered he was incarcerated there following a drug-related incident.”
The senior IPS officer added that local police are actively probing various aspects of the case, including the circumstances surrounding his passport and visa acquisition, as well as any potential connections he may have had.
Earlier, the Ukrainian military announced that an Indian national, identified as a combatant with Russian forces, had surrendered to their troops.
The 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian military released a video showing the Indian national, who introduced himself as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein from Gujarat. According to The Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian military stated that the 22-year-old had initially traveled to Russia for university studies.
In the footage, Mr. Hussein claimed he was sentenced to a seven-year term in a Russian prison for drug-related offenses. He stated he was then presented with an ultimatum: sign a contract with the Russian military or face continued imprisonment.
“I didn’t want to remain in prison, so I signed a contract for the special military operation. However, my desire was always to escape,” Hussein explained.
After a mere 16 days of training, Hussein was deployed on his inaugural combat mission on October 1st, which lasted three days. Following a dispute with his commander, he decided to surrender to Ukrainian forces.
He recounted: “I encountered a Ukrainian trench position approximately two to three kilometers away. I immediately laid down my rifle and declared that I had no desire to fight. I needed assistance, and I definitely did not want to return to Russia.”
Last month, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong appeal to Russia for the release and repatriation of 27 Indian nationals reportedly serving in the Russian Army. This incident adds to concerns, as previous reports have suggested that some Indian citizens, holding student and business visas, have been coerced into joining Russian military units fighting in Ukraine.