Tricked into Battle: The Tragic Story of Mandeep Kumar

Mandeep Kumar, a 28-year-old man from Punjab, was deceived by travel agents into joining the Russian army. He was killed in a drone strike during the Russia-Ukraine war. His brother, Jagdeep Kumar, retrieved his remains after a lengthy search and calls for action against the agents responsible.

The body of Mandeep Kumar, a 28-year-old man from Punjab, has finally returned to his hometown in India after he was killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Tricked by unethical travel agents into joining the Russian army, his story highlights the dangers faced by overseas nationals caught in international conflicts.

Mandeep died in a drone attack, as claimed by his elder brother Jagdeep Kumar. Jagdeep recently returned from Russia where he had been searching for Mandeep. It was only after matching DNA samples that the tragic news of Mandeep's death was confirmed. His remains arrived at the Delhi airport on Saturday.

There have been calls for the Indian government to take decisive action against travel agents who exploit and deceive Indian nationals. Jagdeep also appealed for measures to prevent any further recruitment of Indians into foreign conflicts, following reports of several Indians being coerced into joining the Russian military.

(With inputs from agencies.)