Now Reading: Four Telangana men forced into Russian military, families seek help
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Four Telangana men forced into Russian military, families seek help
The Story in Brief
Four men from Telangana's Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts are stranded after allegedly being forced into the Russian military near the Ukraine front, their families said. Bhookya Ravinder, Sirshu Ashok, Megavath Prakash, and Mohammed Afzal Khan travelled to Russia after being promised jobs in the oil industry, but were not paid salaries and were lured into military duties, The Hindu, The News Minute and Times of India report.
The families submitted a representation to the CM Pravasi Prajavani platform in Hyderabad on 29 September, seeking Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's intervention. Telangana Today adds that the men were made to carry bombs and suffered injuries. The NRI wing will coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in Moscow. On 30 September, the MEA issued an advisory warning Indians against joining the Russian armed forces, calling it a 'dangerous path', Hindustan Times reports.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The coverage is largely uniform: all six outlets report the families' account and the state government's response. Hindustan Times and Telangana Today add detail the others omit: Telangana Today says the men were made to carry bombs and suffered injuries, while Hindustan Times alone reports the MEA advisory issued on 30 September. The other four sources end on the families' plea and the state's assurance of coordination with the MEA and embassy. No source challenges the families' version or names an agent beyond Thelu Krishna. The next step is the NRI wing's coordination with the MEA and the Indian embassy in Moscow to secure the men's return.
Coverage: 6 sources, 5 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (6): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), thenewsminute.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (sensationalist), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), telanganatoday.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 1 October 2026: this story now draws on 6 sources.
Update, 1 October 2026: further reports on this story from timesofindia.indiatimes.com, thefederal.com.
