Indian Student Captured in Ukraine Joined Russian Army to Escape Drug Charges

Sun Oct 12 2025 08:39:49 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The harrowing story of Sahil Majothi, a 22-year-old Indian student, highlights the complex and dangerous decisions faced by individuals caught between legal issues and warfare as he ended up fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

Sahil Majothi, an Indian student studying in Russia, has been captured by Ukrainian forces while allegedly serving in the Russian army. His mother claims he joined the military to evade a seven-year prison sentence stemming from drug charges he did not commit. The Indian government is investigating the case amid growing concerns over the recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian military.

Ukraine has captured an Indian national allegedly fighting for Russian forces, the first known Indian detained in the ongoing war.

Sahil Majothi, 22, from the Indian state of Gujarat, went to Russia to study computer engineering two years ago. His mother claims he was falsely accused in a drug case last April.

Mr. Majothi joined the Russian army to avoid imprisonment over drug charges, according to a video released by Ukraine's army on Tuesday.

The Indian foreign ministry says it is investigating the case and has not received formal communication from Ukraine. The BBC has asked the Russian government for a response.

In an interview with BBC Gujarati, Mr. Majothi's mother, Hasina Majothi, said her son went to Russia in January 2024. He completed a three-month language course in St Petersburg before moving to Moscow for college, supporting himself part-time as a kitchenware courier.

She alleges that in April 2024, someone slipped drugs into a parcel handed to Mr. Majothi during his deliveries. The police caught him with it and charged him.

According to Ms. Hasina, her son was detained, held for six months, and later sentenced to seven years in prison. The family hired a private lawyer in Russia to defend him, but they had no idea when or how he was drafted into the military.

I don't know how he ended up in Ukraine. I only found out through the viral video, Ms. Hasina said.

In the video released by the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army, Mr. Majothi can be heard saying he was given a choice between joining the Russian army, with pay for his service, or serving jail time. He said he was told he would serve in the military for a year before being released.

Mr. Majothi claims that different people promised him varying amounts of money - from a hundred thousand to over a million roubles - but he never received any payment.

He underwent 15 days of training in September 2024 and was sent to the battlefield a year later, on 30 September.

The next day, he had an altercation with his commander, after which he separated from Russian soldiers. That was when he came across a Ukrainian dugout and asked them for help.

On Wednesday, after the video went viral, Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) questioned Ms. Hasina and her brother in Ahmedabad. ATS officials confirmed Mr. Majothi's arrest and subsequent detention in Russia. They said the family claimed to have had no contact with him since his arrest.

At his former school in Morbi, teachers called Mr. Majothi an average student but deeply motivated to fulfill his mother's dreams through education. Local community leaders have also appealed to the government to intervene and secure his return.

Mr. Majothi's arrest comes amid rising concerns over Indians being recruited into the Russian military. Reports say over 150 Indians, some on student or visitor visas, have enlisted. The Indian government has consistently advised its citizens against participating in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from offers to serve in the Russian army, as they are fraught with danger and risk to life, a spokesperson from India's foreign ministry said last month.