Gandhinagar: A Muslim boy from Morbi who went as a student to Russia for studies in university there is now under Ukraine’s custody. A 22-year old Majoti Sahil Mohammad Hussain joined Russian forces and was caught by Ukraine. According to his statement, video of which is available, he joined Russian forces after a drug case  arrest, which led to a choice between seven years in prison or a war duty. After spending three days of combat in Donetsk, he voluntarily surrendered – Ukraine media claims, adding that this highlights Russia’s tactic of pressuring foreign students and migrants amid troop shortages.

As per the video, Sahil says – “I am a student. I came to Russia to study at a university. They caught me with drugs of about 3 grams. I was given 7 years in prison. They said in prison, I will have no contact with anyone outside.  They said, you go home after prison, or go to the war-front for 100 thousand rubles. It will cost nothing and the time required to be spent on the war-front would be 1.5 months. They didn’t give me anything, nothing, not even 100 rubles.”

Sahil further is seen speaking in the video – “I was sent to the front. Nothing was given to me there. After a month of training, they sent me to the front. Three automatic riles, a grenade, that’s all. On October 30, they sent me to the front. I was in Donetsk. I was constantly under fire, shelling and drones. I was in those 3 kms, 3.5 kms of trenches. The commander said, if you don’t want to die, run away, surrender, do whatever. We had no contact with the command. They said on the radio, surrender or die, nothing else. And I said, OK I will surrender. After 2-3 km walk, I surrendered. They took the weapon, asked questions, who are you, where are you from, why are you here? I said I just want to live and nothing else. There were three people. They didn’t want to fight, they just wanted to live. There was no one else here, just us three. As soon as possible, help me, I want to go home.”

DeshGujarat