In a heart-wrenching twist straight out of a war thriller, a 22-year-old Indian student from Gujarat has dramatically surrendered to Ukrainian forces after just three harrowing days on the Russian frontline, blasting Moscow's coercive recruitment tactics in a viral video that's ripping through social media.

Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, hailing from the dusty streets of Morbi in Gujarat, spilled his gut-wrenching tale in a clip released by Ukraine's battle-hardened 63rd Mechanised Brigade on Telegram. "I didn't want to rot in prison, so I signed up for their so-called 'special military operation,'" the wide-eyed young man confessed in Russian, his voice cracking with regret. "But I had to get out. I don't want to go back to Russia—there's no truth there, nothing. I'd rather do time in a Ukrainian jail. If you can, just send me home to India."

Hussein's nightmare began innocently enough: a student visa to chase dreams at a Russian university. But it spiraled into a seven-year drug conviction that slammed prison doors in his face. Desperate for daylight, he inked a devil's bargain—swap chains for combat fatigues, with promises of cash and freedom that never materialized. "They said I'd get paid, but zero rubles showed up," he fumed, painting a picture of betrayal amid the mud and missiles.

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Whisked through a measly 16 days of boot camp—learning little more than rifle basics and grenade tosses—Hussein was hurled into the meat grinder on October 1. Three days of chaos later, a blistering row with his commander snapped his resolve. Spotting a Ukrainian trench 2-3 kilometers off, he ditched his weapon and bolted. "I raised my hands and yelled, 'I don't want to fight! Help me!'" he recounted, collapsing into the arms of troops who now hail him as a "voluntary prisoner."

The footage, raw and unfiltered, has exploded online, amassing millions of views and igniting a firestorm of outrage. Ukrainian commanders wasted no time weaponizing it: "This Indian kid came for studies, got nabbed on drugs, and chose war over bars," their post sneered, underscoring Russia's shadowy dragnet for foreign cannon fodder.

Back home, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is scrambling in damage-control mode, with the Indian embassy in Kyiv digging for dirt on the claims. "No formal word from Ukrainian side yet—we're verifying every angle," an official whispered to PTI, echoing a now-familiar drill in this saga of stolen lives. Last month, India issued a thunderous demand to the Kremlin: cough up 27 Indians still shackled to Russian units, many lured or strong-armed from student and business visas into roles as cooks, loaders, and worse—frontline grunts.

The numbers are a gut punch: over 150 Indians snared by Russian recruiters since the invasion kicked off in 2022, per MEA tallies. At least 12 have paid with their lives in Ukraine's blood-soaked fields, their bodies repatriated amid national mourning. Another 96 clawed their way back via discharges, while 16 haunt the "missing" lists, ghosts in a geopolitical quagmire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't mince words during his 2024 Moscow summit, cornering President Vladimir Putin: "Release our people—now." Yet, the pipeline persists, with reports of visa overstays morphing into midnight conscriptions.

Experts are sounding alarms. "This is human trafficking with AK-47s," fumed Delhi-based security analyst Pinaki Bhattacharya. "Russia's starving for soldiers—30% casualties in Donetsk alone—so they're hoovering up desperate foreigners, from Nepalis to Indians, with false promises." Hussein's plea hits harder: a kid from Gujarat, eyes on a degree, now a pawn in Putin's proxy war, yearning for mom's chai over trench mud.

As Kyiv mulls Hussein's fate—possible POW status or swift handover—the spotlight scorches New Delhi. Opposition voices are baying for action: "How many more Sahils before we slam travel warnings and sue Russia?" tweeted Congress MP Manish Tewari. Families across India hold their breath, from Mumbai hostels to Ahmedabad markets, praying this surrender sparks a flood of returns. For Majoti, the war's roar has faded to a whisper of hope: homeward bound, or forever fractured? In the shadow of empires clashing, one man's dash for freedom could rewrite the rules—or just another forgotten footnote.

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