Bengal man, foced to serve in Ukraine war, says only 2 people left alive in his contingent

A Bengal man fighting for the Russian Army in the war with Ukraine has said in a video message sent recently that out of the 15 non-Russians in his contingent, only two are now alive. He expressed hope that in the aftermath of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he and other Indians on the frontlines of the war would be able to return home.

Urgen Tamang (47), from Kalimpong in West Bengal, has been with the Russian Army for the last six months. Urgen was duped by agents who promised him the job of a security guard in Russia but took him to the frontlines of the battle with Ukraine.

Desperate to bring him back, his family approached Rabi Pradhan, the chairperson of the board of administrators of Kalimpong Municipality for help. Subsequently, Pradhan reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs on behalf of Urgen’s family and got a reply that the matter had been taken up with the Indian Embassy in Moscow “for necessary assistance”.

Urgen is an ex-serviceman who left home on January 18, of this year. He was taken to Delhi and then to Russia by agents who promised him a job as a security guard.