Morbi: Gujarat police have confirmed that 22-year-old Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, recently shown surrendering to Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia, is a resident of Morbi town and had travelled to Russia for studies. According to Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav, Hussein was sent to jail in Russia after being caught in a drug-related case, which matches details provided by the Ukrainian military.

The Ukrainian Army released a video of Hussein identifying himself as being from Gujarat. In the video, he said he had been sentenced to seven years in a Russian prison and was offered the chance to join the Russian military to avoid further punishment. “I didn’t want to stay in prison, so I signed a contract for the special military operation. But I wanted to get out of there,” he said. After just 16 days of training, he was sent on a combat mission on October 1, and after a confrontation with his commander, surrendered to Ukrainian troops. “I immediately put down my rifle and said that I didn’t want to fight. I needed help. I don’t want to go back to Russia,” Hussein added in the video.

Authorities are now investigating how Hussein obtained his passport, visa, and academic connections to Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs has requested the release and repatriation of 27 Indians who are reportedly serving with the Russian Army, with reports indicating that Indian nationals on student or business visas have sometimes been forced into Russian military service.

With inputs from PTI