How YouTuber’s recruitment videos trapped many Indian men in Russian warzone

When 22-year-old Mohammed Sameer saw a captivating YouTube video promising a new life in Russia and a high-paying job, he saw a chance to escape the daily grind at his hometown in Kalaburagi. Enticed, he signed up for the job, only to find himself coerced into a brutal war thousands of miles away. This is the reality of at least 100 Indian men trapped in Russia, forced to fight in the ongoing war. .Sameer came to Russia with the help of an agent named Faizal Khan, who operates a YouTube channel named Baba Vlogs, which has around 3 lakh followers. A Mumbai native operating from Dubai, Faizal runs a job consultancy and recruitment agency. The families of the victims TNM spoke to accuse him of deceiving them with the offer of security/helper jobs in Russia. Faizal, through his captivating videos filmed in Moscow, the capital of Russia, portrayed an image of opportunity and luxurious lifestyle in the country. In his videos, he is seen walking through the streets, highlighting the attractions and stating that living in Russia was within financial reach of the working class. In one of his videos titled ‘Delivery Boy Job In Russia Move To Finland’, he said, “You’ll earn anywhere between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1 lakh. There’s no need for a driving licence as Russians use electric bikes.” He even goes to the extent of saying that the visa processing for this job takes less than three months. He encouraged the viewers to apply for a visitor’s visa and detailed how ‘easy’ it was to get into Finland from Russia. In another video, Faizal’s associate Sufiyan urged viewers to seize a ‘packaging job’ with a promise of earning 5000 US dollars. He said, “There’s not much time,” adding that there was only a week left to apply and assuring potential applicants that there weren’t any visa restrictions. Among the scores of men lured by the promise of lucrative jobs in Russia were Mohammed Sameer, Abdul Naim, and Sayed Iliyaz Hussaini from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, and Mohammed Sufiyan from Telangana’s Narayanpet. Once in Russia, they found themselves thrust into the war between Russia and Ukraine with no prior combat experience. A video of them seeking help has now emerged, in which Sayed is heard saying, “I came to Russia with three friends for a security job, and all of us were taken to the border area where conflict with Ukraine is ongoing. One of our friends is missing and we don't know where he was taken by the Russian army.” The families have reached out to the Union Ministry of External Affairs, requesting that their loved ones be brought back..All four left for Russia on December 15, 2023, travelling from Bengaluru to Chennai, and from there to Dubai, before finally reaching Russia. Initially, Sameer maintained contact with his family, informing them that he had signed a contract in a foreign language, indicating that he was working as a ‘security person’. However, the documents accessed by TNM revealed that the four men were actually “undergoing military services under the Armed Forces in the Russian Federation.”Kalaburagi native Sameer’s brother Mustafa told TNM that the former was working in Dubai for the last three years where he met the three others — Abdul, Hussain and Sufiyan. “Sameer was a hardworking man and he dreamed of a better life for himself and his family. So when he came across a YouTube influencer offering a job in Russia with a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh, he saw it as a chance to fulfil his dream,” Mustafa said. He added that they had no reason to suspect any foul play, especially since they had met the recruiter in Dubai and verified all the details. They had to pay Rs 3 lakh to Faizal as recruitment fees. Sufiyan worked at a mall in Dubai for two years before returning to Telangana in November 2023. His family was unaware of his plans to work in Russia until his tickets were booked, just a week before he left. Like Sameer, Sufiyan was also offered a job as a security personnel in Russia, with a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh and the promise of Russian citizenship. However, upon arrival, he was recruited to the Russian army and forced into combat training.“My brother remained secretive about his Russian job as directed by Faizal. Sufiyan did not like the army job and wished to return to India. However, Faizal said Sufiyan had already signed a one-year contract. But on insisting, he assured us that he would try to resolve the issue. But there has been no progress,” said Sufiyan’s brother Sayyed Salman. He added that no salary has been credited till now. Most of the youths’ families blame the agents for putting their sons in war zones. The families of the victims allege that Faizal is a ‘supplier’ of personnel to the Russian army from India, operating within a network spanning India and Moscow. The network allegedly facilitates recruitment to the Russian army by charging exorbitant fees from the job seekers. .“Upon arrival in Moscow, clients are reportedly instructed to film brief vlogs, purportedly to build trust and reassure prospective recruits,” said Sufiyan’s brother. It has been 15 days since Sameer’s family has made contact with him. A large number of youth dispatched to Russia through this job scam have been reaching out to their families providing accounts of difficulties they encountered. The victims hail from various states in India, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir. Shaikh Mohammed Tahir, a 24-year-old resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, shared his ordeal after returning from Russia with Mid Day. He said that upon arriving in Moscow, he, along with others, was sent to a private apartment. After a day, they were asked to sign a year-long contract. The agent assured them it was for the job of a security personnel. The men could not understand the contract as it was in French. “Earlier, we were not as worried as we are now when Faizal was answering our calls and assuring us that he was trying to get my brother back. But he no longer answers us now, leaving us with little to no hope,” said Mustafa, Sameer’s brother. After the family of Mohammed Afsan, a victim hailing from Hyderabad sought the assistance of AIMIM Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, he wrote to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy in Moscow on January 25. Owaisi urged the government to intervene and facilitate the return of these individuals. He also held a press conference on February 21 seeking help from the MEA. Afsan’s wife Amna Shireen requested the Union government to rescue her husband. She has also filed a police complaint against the recruiter Faizal Khan in Nampally, Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Faizal told Mid Day that he hadn’t deceived anyone and has for the past month been working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of all the candidates. According to Faizal, he too had been deceived by “agents based in Russia, who were Indian nationals”. He said he was informed of a recruitment drive in Russia for army helpers and security personnel by an agent named Moin who hailed from Rajasthan. However, he said, after sending several candidates, he began receiving complaints that they had been sent to the red zone and given weapons training, including the use of grenades. This pattern isn’t unique to India. Posts advertising military service in the Russian army began circulating on Cuban Facebook groups in June, offering a monthly salary of 204,000 rubles (2,086 USD), a substantial sum compared to Cuba's average monthly salary of less than 50 USD. A leaked contract, translated into Spanish by a Ukrainian hacker group on September 5, outlined terms including a one-year commitment, an enlistment fee of 195,000 rubles ($2,000), and 2 million rubles ($21,000) for families of recruits in case of death. The contract also mentioned potential Russian citizenship for recruits and their families, aligning with a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin granting citizenship to foreign nationals participating in the war, without requiring proficiency in the Russian language. TNM tried reaching out to Faizal Khan but did not receive any response. This story will be updated if we hear from him.