Last Rites Held for Jammu Kashmir Student Killed in Russia–Ukraine War | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: A 24-year-old Indian national who travelled to Russia on a student visa was killed in the Russia–Ukraine conflict, with his family alleging he was misled into joining the Russian Army, Daily Excelsior reported. The mortal remains of Manjinder Singh were brought to his native village in the R S Pura sector of Jammu after authorities informed relatives that he had been killed on 28 January, the report said.

Family members told Daily Excelsior that they were informed in early February, following months without contact, that Singh had been deployed in eastern Ukraine and had died, reportedly due to a drone strike or artillery shelling. Heavy shelling in the area delayed recovery of the body for several weeks, after which it was chemically preserved before repatriation. The remains arrived in Delhi on Friday and were taken to his native Gowana village on Saturday, where residents gathered in large numbers to pay their final respects.

Singh had travelled to Russia in December 2024 seeking higher education and employment opportunities. According to relatives, as reported by Daily Excelsior, he spent seven to eight months studying and working part-time to support himself and ease the financial burden on his family. His elder cousin, Ravinder Singh, said he had gone abroad to build a better future.

The family alleged that during his stay he came into contact with agents who promised high salaries—reportedly up to Rs 1 crore for a one-year contract—and assured recruits that the work would be non-combat in nature. They said the youths were told they would handle logistics or material movement behind the lines and that initial payments were made to gain trust.

Relatives told Daily Excelsior that Singh joined the Russian Army in early August without informing his family and underwent about 15 days of training at a facility reportedly located several hundred kilometres from Moscow. His family learned of the development nearly two weeks later. The last contact between Singh and his relatives took place on 20 August, after which his phone was switched off. The family subsequently approached the Indian Embassy in Russia and the Ministry of External Affairs seeking assistance.

Family members said the case was not isolated and alleged that several Indian youths had been similarly recruited in recent years, with some missing, some returning, and others killed. They called for greater awareness and stronger intervention to prevent such recruitment practices targeting students abroad and urged authorities to repatriate Indian nationals affected by such schemes.

Jaswant Singh, the deceased’s uncle, questioned how civilians or students could be sent to a conflict zone after brief training and called for greater government intervention, the family told Daily Excelsior. They also cited unemployment and limited domestic opportunities as factors that could make youths vulnerable to overseas recruitment offers, the report said.

Grief and anger have spread across the village, with residents demanding accountability and safeguards to prevent similar incidents.