Mandeep Kumar, a specially-abled man from Punjab, was allegedly trafficked and forced to fight in the Russian Army, dying months before his identity was confirmed. With no official help, his brother travelled to Russia to uncover the truth, raising serious questions about human trafficking, accountability and state apathy.
Mandeep Kumar should never have been a soldier. Born with a congenital limb disability, the 30-year-old from Goraya in Punjab was, by any standard, unfit for military service. Yet in December 2023, while pursuing the promise of a better life in Europe, his journey spiralled into a nightmare that ended on a battlefield far from home — acknowledged by the system only after his family crossed borders to uncover the truth.
Mandeep was allegedly duped by travel agents, routed through Armenia and forcibly recruited into the Russian Army despite being specially abled. From a foreign land, he sent desperate video messages, pleading to be rescued from a war that was never his to fight.
“He kept sending videos, begging for help,” Jagdeep Kumar, Mandeep’s brother, told India Today. “He said he had been forced to join the army. He was scared. He just wanted to come home.”
SILENCE AFTER MARCH 2024
The last time Mandeep spoke to his family was in March 2024. After that, there was nothing — no calls, no messages, no official word. Only fear, uncertainty and an endless wait. Mandeep was among the recruits allegedly trafficked into the Russian Army during the Russia-Ukraine war.
For months, the family knocked on every possible door — local authorities, the state government and the Centre — seeking help to locate Mandeep or bring him back. They allege their pleas were met with silence.
“With no support from the system, we were left alone to fight this battle,” Jagdeep said. “No one told us anything.”
A BROTHER’S DESPERATE JOURNEY TO RUSSIA
The confirmation the family had dreaded finally came, but not through diplomatic channels or official communication. It came after Jagdeep himself travelled to Russia.
Towards the end of 2025, Jagdeep, accompanied by his father, went to Russia at his own risk to search for his missing brother. He tracked down members of the Russian Army and submitted his DNA sample in December to identify Mandeep.
Seven days later, as the New Year dawned, the call finally came from Russia — not with hope, but with the truth the family had been dreading: his brother was dead.
What makes the revelation deeply troubling is Jagdeep’s allegation that he had already submitted his DNA sample at AIIMS in February 2025, a process facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs. He claims those DNA reports were never sent to Russia.
“If my DNA was already collected in India, why did it take me going to Russia for them to confirm my brother’s death?” he asked. “Why were those reports never sent?”
‘CLOSURE CAME, BUT WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT’
Jagdeep says neither the Punjab government nor the Centre extended any meaningful help during his search — not logistical, not diplomatic, not financial.
Instead, he says the cost of the Russia trip that finally brought closure was assisted by Congress MP Raja Warring.
“The government did nothing,” Jagdeep alleged. “It was Raja Warring who helped me. Not the system.”
Deepak Vashisht, a Congress worker who was present at the Delhi airport to assist Jagdeep, said the family had been left to fend for itself. “Neither the state government nor the Centre extended any help. What this family has gone through is not just an administrative failure, it is humanly wrong,” he said.
DISTURBING IMAGES, QUESTIONS OF DIGNITY
Images shared by a Russian commander showed Mandeep’s body in a severely decomposed state — visuals that have left the family traumatised and raised disturbing questions about dignity in death.
In a chat accessed by India Today, an official from the Russian Army, while confirming Mandeep’s death through DNA identification, is seen saying that the condition of the body was “not pretty.” When the family nevertheless insisted on seeing proof, the official sent a disturbing image, adding, “It was taken before freezing. Not much is left. He was identified by DNA.”
On Tuesday, Mandeep’s mortal remains finally arrived at the Delhi airport, bringing an end to more than a year-long wait — but not to the grief. “It has ended the waiting, but not the pain,” Jagdeep broke down while speaking.
‘AT LEAST TELL FAMILIES IF THEIR LOVED ONES ARE DEAD’
Jagdeep says he has been in touch with at least 13 other families from Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh and parts of Bihar, whose sons too were allegedly trafficked and sent to fight in Russia. “Out of them, at least 10 have died,” he claimed.
“There are many families connected with me,” Jagdeep said, his voice breaking. “But there is no help from the embassy or the government. At least families deserve to know if their loved one has died.”
The pain is compounded by the fact that Jagdeep has not yet found the courage to tell his parents the truth. “They are still waiting for him,” he said. “They believe Mandeep will return. I don’t have the strength to tell them that their son will never come home alive.”
