Kalimpong, India – Ambika Tamang was hesitant about her husband Urgen Tamang's decision to move to Russia for a better job during the conflict in Ukraine.

Despite her reservations, she bid him a hurried farewell on January 18 this year.

“It was necessary for our family,” Ambika, 44, shared at her home in Kalimpong, a picturesque town in the Neora Valley of the Himalayas.

Urgen, working as a private security guard in Gujarat, 2,270km away, made the move to Russia after paying an agent 600,000 Indian rupees from their savings.

Unfamiliar with foreign lands, Urgen soon found himself on the front lines of Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Tamang family felt deceived, with Ambika keeping a close eye on the distant conflict.

“He never wanted this. This is not our fight,” she expressed. “I worry about his safe return.”

‘Trapped in the dreams’

Accustomed to life with their daughters, Ambika recalls Urgen’s time in the Indian military and as a private guard in Gujarat.

His sudden decision to go to Russia left her anxious, only hearing from him sporadically amidst his distress in a foreign land.

Urgen's desperate video plea for evacuation highlighted his plight, pleading to be rescued from deception.

Days passed anxiously for Ambika, with brief, reassuring messages from Urgen providing glimpses of his well-being amid pleas for help.

Emotionally overwhelmed, Ambika consoles her children, awaiting Urgen's return.

Diplomatic efforts

The repatriation of deceived men has been a diplomatic priority for India, with multiple initiatives aimed at their safe return.

Efforts include discussions between Indian and Russian officials at various summits, highlighting the plight of those deceived into frontline duty.

Families, not just in India but across neighboring countries, have appealed for their loved ones' return, with governments pushing for a resolution.

As diplomatic negotiations unfold, families like the Tamangs wait anxiously for the safe return of their deceived kin.