Jalandhar, August 6, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
A young man from Punjab who narrowly escaped death during the Russia-Ukraine war has shared a harrowing account of the ordeal he faced. Sarabjit Singh, who went to Russia in April 2024, revealed that after just two weeks of military training, he was sent straight to the warfront at the Ukraine border.
Thanking Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal for his intervention, Sarabjit said that without his help, their bodies might never have returned home. His parents believe their son has returned as if reborn.
Now, Sarabjit is preparing to return to Moscow to help trace 14 other missing Indians, hoping to identify them in military camps. Having spent more than eight months in Russia, Sarabjit is familiar with several cities. He said that he and a group of 18 people had initially gone to Moscow for courier work.
However, upon arrival at the airport, they were detained and taken to a building where they underwent documentation and medical checkups. After this, they were given just 15 days of military training before being thrown into the Russia-Ukraine war, a conflict they had no part in.
They were sometimes transported in vehicles and other times made to walk for kilometers on foot. Teams of five were formed, outfitted with military uniforms, and handed real weapons. Sarabjit shared that while advancing into Ukrainian territory, all they could see around them were corpses—many of them Indians, alongside youths from various other countries.
He also described how they would go days without access to drinking water and often missed meals. At one point, he became so mentally broken that he even tried to pull the pin of a hand grenade to end his life. Amidst the chaos of war, they never knew when a bullet or bomb might strike. Sarabjit said he had never been so close to death in his entire life.
MP Sant Seechewal shared that he made every possible effort during the ongoing Monsoon Session to help these Indians stranded in Russia and also raised the issue with the government. He informed that, in a written question submitted to the central government, it was revealed that out of 13 Indians in the Russian army, 12 were still missing. The ministry is working on tracing them.
He appealed to the central government to ensure the safe return of Indians trapped in Russia. Notably, in February, Sant Seechewal had also arranged flight tickets for two individuals to travel to Russia to look for their relatives. A letter was also sent to the Indian Embassy in Moscow requesting assistance for these families.
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