I wanted to die, recalls UP man who returned from Russian frontline
“The war does something to you that you don’t want to live. I have lived 11 days on a mere bottle of water and survived without food. At one point, I felt my hand would fall off due to the cold. I had lost hope of returning home alive,” said Rakesh Yadav (28), who returned after eight months from the frontline after serving with the Russian army in the Russia-Ukraine war.
After having witnessed death, sickness, crippling depression and an urge to commit suicide, Rakesh returned to India on September 29 – after an SOS call yielded fruit. Away since January, he served on frontline at Sudzha and had to be relegated to a hospital for months after a drone attack from Ukraine lodged slivers from a grenade into his hand.
Hailing from Azamgarh in UP, Rakesh’s return was facilitated by Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal -– whom he called on Sunday to thank for his rescue.
Rakesh Yadav said, “We were promised jobs as security men at Rs 2 lakh per month by agents Dushyant, Sumit and Sultan, whom I got to know through my friend Vinod Yadav. I paid Rs 1.5 lakh to an agent who took 14 of us (13 from UP and one from Punjab) to St Petersberg in Russia on January 16.
“We were asked to sign Russian documents there and got new Russian bank accounts. We were also asked to make videos stating that we are willingly giving our ATM cards (and pin) to agents. After that, we were taken by a 2-3-day train journey to a weapons-training camp in middle of a snow clad valley.”
Rakesh said he was beaten up on repeated refusals. Following training, Rakesh was sent to the war at Sudzha and was relegated to a bunker for days, forced to relieve himself there.
He said, “We ate stale meat, lived on little water for 11 days. We urinated in bags and bottles and covered those up. During an attempt to rescue a companion, a grenade attack was launched towards our bunker and a grenade soon damaged my hand after which I shifted from one hospital to another.”
“At this point, I wanted to die but a call to Jagdeep, an acquaintance in India, raised hopes of return. I was asked to stay put. I took up odd jobs as a grass-cutter, dung-picker etc at the hospital before help came and I was finally brought back,” he said.
Rakesh said the Rs 35 lakh (received by him as payment and allowance for hand injury from the Russian Government) was pocketed by the agents.
He said, “I lost two associates from Mau (UP) – Sunil Yadav and Shyam Sundar. Only their bodies returned home. One of my companions was killed in a drone attack by Ukraine. Another colleague died in a grenade explosion on 17 June. I don’t want any more men to die.”
He added that the news of the death of one of his companions martyred in Russia was given to his family by Russian authorities six months after his death.
Rakesh, along with five families who returned from Russia, reached 'Nirmal Kutiya' in Sultanpur Lodhi to meet Seechewal. He said some of their children are still trapped there or are missing. Seechewal assured them that he would take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs.
Rakesh said, “I got to know about Seechewal’s help through Jagdeep who took me to meet him today. My only appeal to the government is that the 20-25 more Indians stuck there be brought back. And the return of our money usurped by agents be ensured. I will eat salt-roti and paint homes, but never be lured by foreign promises again.”
Rakesh has parents, wife and two children at home. In India, he worked as a daily wage painter.
