Russia jobs scam traps Indians on Ukraine war frontlines

A man walks past an advertisement banner promoting contract army service and reading ‘Join Yours’ in western Moscow on March 12, 2024. Indians promised well-paid jobs in Russia were sent to fight in Ukraine, highlighting online scams that target the unemployed. — AFP

POSHWAN, India: When Raja Begum heard an Indian had died in Ukraine, she collapsed to the ground, convinced it was her missing son – one of dozens of young men lured to Russia on the promise of jobs, then sent to fight in the Ukraine war.

“I can’t stop thinking about the last message my son sent,” said Begum, 60, who has not heard from the 31-year-old tech graduate since January – just weeks after he left the family’s village in Indian-administered Kashmir to head to Moscow.