A 22-year-old youth from Telangana, who was unwittingly recruited into the Russian army and left stranded at the Russia-Ukraine border for months, expressed his gratitude to the Centre on Saturday for facilitating his return to the country.

“I still cannot believe that I have returned home. The horrific scenes of the ongoing war are still fresh in my mind…” said Mohammed Sufiyan, who returned home safely on Friday night after working as a support staff for the Russian army in its war with Ukraine. Sufiyan (22), who hails from Narayanpet district, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Telangana government and also the media for facilitating his return. Sufiyan recalled that he reached Russia via Chennai and Dubai in December 2023 after being promised the job of a security personnel by a Mumbai-based employment agent.