Jammu man lured to work in Russia, sent to war zone and killed

JAMMU: On September 13, 2025, a 23-year-old Jammu man, who had left for Russia more than a month ago with the dream of finding a job, made a WhatsApp call to his family, informing them that he would be sent to the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war and requesting help. This was the last time Sachin Khajuria’s family heard from him.Sachin, who is believed to have been killed in September last year, was cremated amidst the outpouring of grief when his body arrived at Pahariwala village in Aknoor early on Sunday.He was the second person from Jammu to be killed in the Russo-Ukrainian war. In February last year, the body of 24-year-old Manjinder Singh of Gowana village in Jammu’s RS Pura district was repatriated under similar circumstances. Singh traveled to Russia on a student visa in December 2024 with the goal of pursuing higher education and working to support his family.Two other young men from Sachin and Jammu regions, Sumeet Sharma and Atul Sharma, reportedly left for Russia last year after receiving offers for civil construction jobs, including bunker-related jobs. According to their family members, the packages promised a one-time payment of 2 million rupees, a monthly salary of 250,000 rupees and other benefits.Sachin flew to Russia on August 4, 2025 on a study visa. His brother, Koushal Khajuria, said his phone had been switched off since the family last spoke to him on September 17.In December, the families of Sachin and Sumit told authorities they had had no information about their sons’ whereabouts since September and claimed the young men were deceived by agents who promised lucrative civilian jobs in Russia, but instead were forced to join the Russian military and war zones. They also met Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and J&K Cabinet Minister Satish Sharma to discuss higher level issues.The family then received an email requesting a blood sample for DNA testing. His brother Kushal sent his blood sample and authorities confirmed Sachin’s death about 10 days ago.According to sources, the family of the deceased was informed that the body could not be recovered immediately due to ongoing hostilities, and the body was recovered weeks later in a decomposed state, then chemically preserved and shipped back to the country.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Federal Council on December 18, 2025 that 202 Indian nationals are believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces since 2022, of whom 26 died. The MEA advised Indians to avoid overseas job opportunities linked to conflict zones, while saying the issue of Indians being recruited into combat operations through fake job offers has been referred to Russian authorities.