The scheme that led to the deaths of two Indian men in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has revealed the involvement of Faisal Abdul Mutallib Khan, an Indian man with a YouTube channel called Baba Vlogs. Khan, who also operates a recruitment agency, is accused of convincing Indian men to undertake non-combat jobs in the Russian army, which unknowingly resulted in their deployment to war zones. One of the victims was Mohammad Afsan, who tragically died fighting in Ukraine.
Faisal Khan is a youthful entrepreneur from Mumbai with a presence on social media, where he had previously assured potential recruits of substantial salaries and residence benefits associated with these Russian army jobs. Beginning in July 2023, Faisal started promoting these roles, requiring a significant upfront fee while guaranteeing safety and non-combat positions. These claims led to the recruitment of a number of Indian nationals, with Faisal affirming he sent 35 people to Russia, arguing that he too was misled about their deployment.
In a stern warning, the External Affairs Ministry stated that jobs with the Russian Army projected by questionable agents carry a high risk and consequently, the CBI has taken strict action against these recruitment rackets. Indian officials have approached the Russian government for the release of these misled individuals, and the CBI has conducted comprehensive searches across several Indian cities, discovering evidence that underscores the operations of a human trafficking network. Those recruited were often forced into combat roles and provided with Russian military uniform and badges, sometimes sustaining serious injuries, with traffickers and local agents employing social media and other means to entice individuals with the promise of high-paying jobs in Russia.