Devastated father fears for missing son, caught in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Srinagar, Jan 18 : One year has passed, but Mohammad Amin Sheikh of Karnah, Kupwara, is still trapped in a nightmare that refuses to end. His son, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, a 27-year-old dreamer, vanished in December 2023, leaving behind only the haunting question: Where is he?
Zahoor had longed for a brighter future and believed he had found it in a recruitment video. The promise of a well-paying job in Russia was too good to resist, and for the first time, hope filled his heart. He told his father about the opportunity, and with excitement in his voice, Zahoor set off, ready to provide a better life for his family.
But what was meant to be a fresh start turned into an unthinkable horror. Instead of a job, Zahoor was forced into the chaos of war—sent to the frontlines of the devastating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. His father’s heart sank as the calls from Zahoor grew less frequent. The last message came on December 31, 2023, when Zahoor told his family that he was going for training and would not be able to contact them for months. The silence that followed was deafening.
His family’s growing fears were compounded by rumors of Indian nationals being trapped in Russia, coerced into fighting in a war they never asked for. Despite their desperate attempts to reach Zahoor, his phone line went dead, leaving his family in a state of agonizing uncertainty.
Mohammad Amin’s search for his son has been nothing short of a relentless journey—one filled with frustration and an ever-growing sense of helplessness. He traveled to Delhi, knocking on every door, even visiting the Russian embassy, but the answers he sought never came. “I am devastated. Nobody is helping me find my son,” Mohammad Amin’s voice cracks with the weight of his sorrow. “Every day that passes, I fear for his life.”
Zahoor was one of 15 Indian men who found themselves trapped in a cruel human trafficking network, promising jobs in Russia but instead sending them to fight on foreign soil. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has intervened, but the Russian authorities remain largely unresponsive. The situation grew even more tragic as reports emerged of Indian nationals dying while fighting in Ukraine, leaving their families to grieve without closure.
In July 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to release the men misled into fighting. Putin promised that they would be discharged from military service. Yet, families like Mohammad Amin’s are left waiting, still haunted by the uncertainty of their loved ones’ fate.
The heartbreaking tale of Zahoor is not an isolated one. It is part of a broader tragedy—a vast human trafficking network stretching from New Delhi to Tamil Nadu, luring vulnerable individuals with false promises. Once they arrived in Russia, their passports were seized, and they were forced into combat roles, their lives held hostage by a ruthless cycle of exploitation.
The Indian government has confirmed that at least 126 nationals have been trapped in this scandal. While some traffickers have been arrested, the pain for families like Mohammad Amin’s continues. “I just want to know if my son is alive,” he says, his voice trembling with a father’s raw anguish, still clinging to the faintest hope that his son will one day return.
As the search drags on, the Sheikh family holds onto one thing—hope. Despite the silence from authorities, Mohammad Amin’s heart refuses to give up on his son. Every passing day, the pain intensifies, but so does the longing for an answer, for the return of Zahoor.
For now, the Sheikh family waits—waiting for the day when the phone will ring, and they will finally hear the words they long for: “I am coming home.”