A 30-year-old man from Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar, who travelled to Russia for higher education, has allegedly been forced into joining the Russian army and deployed to the frontlines of the Ukraine war, his family has alleged.

Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Kushmoth village in Shaktifarm, Sitarganj, left for Russia on August 7 after securing admission to St Petersburg University on a student visa. However, just weeks after arriving, he reportedly contacted his family, hinting that something was wrong, The Times of India reported.

His brother, Deepu Maurya, said their last direct conversation was on August 30, when Rakesh revealed he had been forcibly drafted into the Russian military and would soon be sent to the battlefield. Soon after, his phone became unreachable.

Days later, th

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