A 16-year-old boy in Surat is writing letters and emails to government authorities, hoping that someone will help him find his father. Thousands of kilometres away, in a foreign country, 39-year-old Ramnik Sakhwala remains untraceable after joining the Russian Army. His family has not heard from him for more than four months and does not even know whether he is alive.
At home, his wife, Sheetal, has taken up sewing work to support the family. Relatives are helping financially, while their son, who is studying in Class 11, is trying every possible way to get information about his father.
For the family, life has become a long wait for one phone call, one message or any confirmation that Ramnik is safe.
A Family’s Search For Answers
Ramnik’s family has approached several authorities in India and Russia, but it is still waiting for a clear answer.
They contacted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi. According to the family, they were informed that Ramnik had obtained a Russian passport and that further assistance would require approaching the Russian Federation. Before losing contact, Ramnik had shared photographs of his passport and other documents with his family.
The family also emailed the Gujarat State Non-Resident Gujaratis Foundation and contacted the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai. They claim they have not received a response to these communications.
The Indian Embassy in Russia assured them that it would seek information from Russian authorities and share any updates after receiving a response.
According to Ramnik’s brother, Ramnik could be alive but were unable to confirm his location or condition. The family was also told that receiving information could take months or even a year.
They have also approached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). A letter was submitted around 20 days before his statement, but the family had not received a response.
The Last Conversation On June 24
The family last spoke to Ramnik on June 24, 2026. During the call, he told his wife that he would not be reachable for the next 10 to 15 days.
The family expected him to contact them once that period was over. But no call came. More than four months have passed since then, and there has been no further communication.
His family has no confirmed information about his whereabouts, military status or condition. They do not know whether he is safe or whether he is still alive.
Before travelling to Russia, Ramnik worked in the planning department of a diamond manufacturing unit in Surat. The slowdown in India’s diamond industry had made his work financially unviable, pushing him to look for better employment opportunities abroad.
In 2025, he travelled to Russia on a three-month business visa. His visa was later extended by another year.
According to his family, Ramnik joined the Russian Army in early June 2026 after being assured that he would not be sent to the battlefield. Ramnik had been promised a support role involving the supply of food to Russian personnel deployed in the war zone. He was told that his work would not involve fighting or other dangerous duties.
The family believes Ramnik had taken the opportunity in the hope of improving their financial condition. Instead, they have been left without any information about what happened to him.
Ramnik’s absence has affected the family emotionally as well as financially. Sheetal has taken up sewing work to manage household expenses, while other family members are providing financial support.
Their son is also trying to reach government officials through emails and letters. At just 16, he is now part of the family’s search for answers about his missing father.
The uncertainty has made the situation even more difficult.
The family member said, their demand, is not complicated. They want to know whether Ramnik is alive and where he is.
The case also highlights concerns about Indians who travel to Russia for employment and later become involved in military recruitment amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Families of some Indians in similar circumstances have raised concerns about their safety and efforts to bring them home.
But for Ramnik’s family in Surat, this is not just a matter of international affairs. It is about a husband who has not called home, a wife trying to keep the household running and a teenage son who is writing to authorities in the hope of hearing that his father is safe.
For now, they continue to wait for the one thing they need most: news about Ramnik.
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