I may not return alive’: Visakhapatnam youth allegedly forced into Russian Army, sent to Ukraine warfront
“I don’t know if I will survive to return home.” This desperate message from a Visakhapatnam youth, who was allegedly forced into the Russian Army and sent to the Ukraine war front after being promised a job, has left his family fearing for his life. Three other youths who travelled with him are reportedly missing.
Jetti Vamsi, a resident of JNNURM Colony near Duvvada in Gajuwaka mandal, had travelled to Russia in search of employment to support his widowed mother and sister. Instead, he allegedly found himself on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war, forced to carry out dangerous military assignments.
In a distressing selfie video sent to his mother, Jetti Appalakonda, Vamsi described how recruits were being forced into combat against their will.
“We are being forced into active warfare. My friend disappeared right before my eyes. If we refuse to march into battle, they haul us into vans and drop us at the front lines. I don’t know if I will survive to return home,” he said in the video, which has circulated on social media.
According to his family, Vamsi was left stranded in Russia after his recruitment agent allegedly abandoned him. An agent of Nepalese origin subsequently approached him with an offer of employment in food packaging and military logistics, assuring him that the job would not involve combat.
Vamsi and several other job seekers were allegedly made to sign contracts written entirely in Russian, without being informed of their terms. They were later deployed near the Ukraine border, where they were forced to dig trenches, construct bunkers, and carry out high-risk assignments amid intense fighting.
Of the five youths who travelled together, only Vamsi and his friend Satheesh can currently be traced. The other three have reportedly been missing for two months after being moved to conflict zones.
Back home in Visakhapatnam, Ms Appalakonda, who lost her husband and has struggled to raise her two children, is desperately seeking help to bring her son home. Vamsi is the family’s sole breadwinner.
Breaking down while speaking to reporters on Monday, she appealed to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, and IT Minister Nara Lokesh to intervene and secure her son’s safe return.
Duvvada Circle Inspector N. Ganesh said the police had begun an inquiry following directions from senior officials.
“We are inquiring into the case, including the role of the agent and details of the victims, and will submit a report to the authorities concerned. No formal complaint has been received from the family so far,” he said.
In a post on X, Mr Lokesh sought urgent intervention by the authorities to ensure the safe and speedy return of the Visakhapatnam youths stranded in Russia.
For Ms Appalakonda, the wait continues. Her son, who left home hoping to secure a better future for his family, now struggles to return alive from a war he never intended to fight.