India, Sept. 15 -- Three Indians from western Uttar Pradesh (UP) have gone missing in Russia after their passports were allegedly confiscated and they were forced to join the Russian Army to fight in the war in Ukraine.

The families of Himanshu Sharma, 24, and Shakti Punder, 23, from Muzaffarnagar, and Shamli's Ashu Saini, 25, said they have been unable to contact them since July 30, after their panicked phone calls from Moscow.

The three were pursuing a Russian language course in Moscow. Their families said they went to Russia separately through a Shamli-based agent who charged each Rs.3.5 lakh, promising student visas and arrangements for permissible part-time employment.

Saini left for Russia in April after completing his intermedia...