The mortal remains of 28-year-old Mandeep Kumar from Goraya, Jalandhar district, Punjab, who died in November 2025 during a drone attack while coerced into fighting for the Russian army in the Russia-Ukraine war, reached his hometown on January 3, 2026, after over 22 months. Duped by Kapurthala-based travel agents promising a job in Italy, Mandeep traveled via Armenia in August 2023, endured beatings and starvation in Russia, and contacted his family on March 3, 2024, expressing fears after forced enlistment despite a congenital leg defect. His brother Jagdeep’s persistent efforts—two trips to Russia, DNA submissions confirmed in November 2025 via Indian Embassy assistance from Rostov-on-Don—facilitated repatriation, amid family demands for Punjab Police action against agents exploiting youth amid ongoing recruitments of Indians into conflict zones.