Job scam lands Hyderabad man in Russia warzone, family pleads for rescue

A 37-year-old man from the city, who was offered a job in a construction company in Russia, is trapped on the Russia-Ukraine border and allegedly forced to fight in the war after being duped by a Mumbai-based agent, his family said here on Friday.

The incident came to light after Mohammed Ahmed’s wife Afsha Begum wrote to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting him to rescue and repatriate her husband.

In a video message, Ahmed said, “The place where I am is the border and war is going on. We four Indians refused to go into the warzone. They threatened us to fight and pointed a weapon at me and another person. There is plaster on my leg. Don’t leave the agent. The agent trapped and brought me here on the pretext of a job”.

In the letter addressed to Jaishankar, Ahmed’s wife said a Mumbai-based consultancy firm offered a job to her husband in a construction company in Russia.

As per the agreement, Ahmed left India in April 2025 and reached Russia. She said there was no work for nearly one month, and later her husband, along with 30 others, was shifted to a remote area and given weapons training against their will.

“After training, 26 persons were taken to the border area to fight the Ukrainian Army. While being taken to the border area, Ahmed jumped from the Army vehicle due to which he suffered a fracture in his right leg. He



refused to fight. But, he is being threatened to either fight against the Ukrainian Army or get killed,” she wrote.

Subsequently, Ahmed’s family members met AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, who wrote to the MEA and requested it to look into the matter and get Ahmed repatriated from Russia to India.

In response, an official from the Indian Embassy in Moscow wrote back to Owaisi stating that they have shared the details of Ahmed with the Russian authorities and have requested for his early discharge from the Russian Army and safe repatriation to India.

Adding to the family’s misery, Ahmed has not responded to calls since Friday morning.

“He has been sending voice notes and video messages on WhatsApp for the past few days, but stopped since Friday morning. He told us that his troop was about to move further into the Ukrainian land to take possession. They are expected to stay there for next five days and there was possibility of heavy shelling and warfare,” Afsha Begum told Telangana Today.

The family claimed it has no information on his whereabouts and safety. Neither the State nor Union government has contacted them or provided any update.

“He is the sole bread winner of the family and leaves behind a paralyzed mother and two children. I request the governments to intervene and ensure his safe return at the earliest,” she said.