travel reports m62

Live updates as M62 pile-up triggers long delays

The collision has taken place on the eastbound carriageway

• Updated 15:05, 22 APR 2024

Motorists are facing delays on the M62 after a 'multi-vehicle' smash. Traffic cameras show gridlock on the eastbound carriageway following the morning collision.

The incident has taken place between Junctions 11 and 12. National Highways has warned of three miles of congestion as two out of the four lanes are shut.

An update on X - formerly Twitter - states: "Two lanes (of four) are closed on the M62 eastbound in Greater Manchester between Junction 11 (Birchwood) and J12 (M60) due to a multi-vehicle collision.

"Recovery is being arranged. There's a 30 minute delay on approach with three miles of congestion."

Further updates will appear in our dedicated blog below.

All lanes reopened

All lanes have reopened following the early multi-vehicle crash.

Traffic has returned to normal eastbound between junctions 11 and 12.

'No significant delays' says National Highways

National Highways says there are 'no significant delays' on the M62 eastbound following the earlier crash. Two lanes remain closed before junction 11 for Birchwood as a clean-up continues.

Three miles of congestion

Image from the queues.

A reader stuck in queues on the M62 has sent us an image from the gridlocked traffic after a multi-vehicle collision.

Two lanes remain closed eastbound between junction 12 (Eccles Interchange) and junction 11 for Birchwood.

Gridlock on M62

A live map from National Highways shows traffic has come to a stop

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Live M62 road traffic reports, news, updates & information. Events will include current road accidents & incidents, road conditions, current & planned road works on the M62 motorway. We help the road transport, haulage & freight logistics industries stay ahead of potential operational delays and problems on the roads with our live update road traffic report feeds. We will help you avoid road closures, traffic jams, road traffic accidents, road works, bad weather delays, congestion & other potential traffic issues along your planned route.

Current incidents and delays

Last updated: 04:37:45.

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M62 Motorway Traffic Cameras, News and Alerts

Choose a carriageway on the M62 motorway.

Traffic Alerts

Last updated by National Highways on 23/04/2024 05:34

No current traffic alerts for M62

Live updates as M62 closed as person arrested

There are severe delays on the motorway due to debris on the road after a crash

• Updated 16:03, 30 JAN 2024

The M62 westbound is closed causing severe delays.

The motorway has been blocked due to debris on the road and an oil spillage from J7 A57 Warrington Road (Rainhill Stoops) to J6 M57 J1 (Tarbock Island).

National Highways reports that a number of vehicles hit a metal object in the road.

A spokesperson said: "A significant clear-up operation will be ongoing throughout the morning."

READ MORE: Man tried to fly to Dubai with Kinder Surprise eggs full of drugs up his bum

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• One person arrested 09:34

M62 reopens

Latest update from national highways, significant clear-up operation will be ongoing into the afternoon.

The M62 remains closed westbound between J7 (Rainhill) & J6 (M57) due to a large oil/diesel spillage caused by a number of vehicles hitting a prop shaft which became detached from a bus.

A significant clear-up operation will be ongoing into the afternoon.

Severe delays due to emergency repairs

There are severe delays due to emergency repairs, debris on road and oil spillage from J7 A57 Warrington Road (Rainhill Stoops) to J6 M57 J1 (Tarbock Island).

Congestion to past J8 (Warrington West).

The M62 has been closed since 8am today.

Incident information from National Highways

Location The M62 westbound between junctions J7 and J6

Reason Road traffic collision

Status Currently Active

Time To Clear The event is expected to clear between 12:45 and 13:00 on 30 January 2024

Return To Normal Normal traffic conditions are expected between 12:45 and 13:00 on 30 January 2024

Delay There are currently delays of 1 hour against expected traffic

Previous Reason Following an earlier obstruction involving debris in road

Image of traffic on the M62

Prop shaft became detached from a bus

National Highways reports that the closure remains in place.

A spokesperson said: "The M62 in Merseyside remains closed westbound between J7 (Rainhill) & J6 (M57) due to a large oil spillage caused by a number of vehicles hitting a prop shaft which became detached from a bus.

"Clear-up works will be ongoing for some time. There's an hour delay on approach."

One person arrested

A spokesperson for North West Motorway Police said: "One person [has been] arrested for endangering road users."

Additional traffic to J9 ( Winwick )

M62 westbound is experiencing severe delays due to debris on road and oil spillage from J7 A57 Warrington Road (Rainhill Stoops) to J6 M57 J1 (Tarbock Island).

Congestion to J9 ( Winwick ) with a crash within the queues.

There is also heavy traffic on the eastbound carraigway as drivers slow down to see what is happening.

Delays of 90 minutes

A spokesperson for National Highways said: "There are currently delays of one and a half hours against expected traffic."

The closure is due to an obstruction involving debris in road , following a crash.

Delays on opposite side of motorway

North West Motorway police confirmd that there are delays towards Liverpool on the M62 due to people slowing down to see the road closured westbound.

They said: "Due to people slowing down to see what is happening as they pass on the eastbound there are delays on that side back to J6. Please pay attention to the road ahead."

M62 Westbound closed

M62 Westbound is closed causing severe delays and queueing traffic due to debris on road and oil spillage from J7 A57 Warrington Road (Rainhill Stoops) to J6 M57 J1 (Tarbock Island).

National Highways spokesperson said: "A significant clear-up operation will be ongoing throughout the morning. Please allow extra time."

• Traffic and Travel
• Most Recent

HELP! Please sign our petition to reinstate the live CCTV traffic camera feeds for the M62

As most of you will have already seen, back in December, National Highways, the government body who control and operate the CCTV cameras on the M62 (and the rest of England) restricted access to their feeds, freezing the images on that date and not allowing third parties like us to give you the access to the latest traffic images you previously enjoyed.

We've been working hard to get this access restored but have unfortunately met with nothing but bureaucratic red tape and a response of "no, because we said so" from National Highways.

Road users in Scotland and Wales don't have this problem; their government bodies put the needs of the public first and have created ways for third-party providers to build fast, helpful services, now used by thousands of UK motorists daily.

The more people that sign, the quicker this can be resolved, so please share!

We have been told by National Highways that the camera feeds for the M62 will be reinstated shortly.

If the images are not updating, please check back later.

Enter a custom name for this camera if required, then click the route you wish to save it to.

Enter a custom name for this Bookmark, or just click save to keep it as it is.

Are you sure you wish to remove this camera from ALL routes? If you only wish to remove this camera from a specific route please Cancel, go to the Route in question and remove it from there.

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Leeds Traffic and Travel news

The latest Leeds traffic and travel news including breaking traffic updates and news about the M62, M1 and M621 and across Leeds including road closures, roadworks, trains, buses and more

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• Live Leeds traffic and travel updates for M62, M1, M621, Leeds ring road, trains and buses

Moscow   Travel Guide

Why Go To Moscow

Moscow's opulence and high culture is a sight to be seen. Forget what you learned about Russia in grade school. This lavish capital of a formerly communist nation has fully embraced the luxuries, excesses and decadence of Western capitalism. Like many former Soviet countries, Mother Russia struggles to successfully confront issues of widespread poverty, alcoholism, failing healthcare, and environmental protection. But Moscow has burgeoned into one of the most expensive, exclusive and largest travel destinations in the world. It comes complete with world-class museums, magnificent palaces, $1,000-a-night hotels, "face-control" nightclubs and internationally-renowned restaurants. Don't think you can afford Moscow? Don't be afraid. You can still find affordable deals if you are vigilant. This metropolis has a big and bold character and grandiose setting that's definitely worth getting to know.

Find Flight and Hotel Deals

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Best of Moscow

Best hotels in moscow.

• # 1 in Hotel Metropol Moscow
• # 2 in Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow
• # 3 in Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow

Best Things to Do in Moscow

• # 1 in Red Square
• # 2 in Tretyakov Gallery
• # 3 in St. Basil's Cathedral

Moscow Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Moscow is April and May, when the temperature creeps into the 50s and 60s, the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day, and hotel rates have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges. Of course, the golden period is summer, when the city is warm and bustling. But if you want to (slightly) spare yourself from the perpetually expensive rates, try the shoulder seasons in the spring and early fall. Preferably spring, since fall experiences more rainfall and less sunlight. Winters are brutally cold, but this is when you'll get a true glimpse into the Moscow experience (A frost-bitten walk through Red Square seems to intensify the historical significance of this great capital city).

Weather in Moscow

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

A little Russian English is spoken only in major hotels and restaurants, and you'll find mostly Russian speakers in the less tourist-heavy areas. American visitors also struggle with the Cyrillic spellings and pronunciations. Practice some key Russian phrases on the long flight over.

A little tipping Unlike most other European cities, tipping (five to 10 percent) in restaurants is the custom.

A lot of vodka This Russian drink of choice (yes, they usually consume it straight) is found at any bar. But if you wish to taste it and learn about its origins, the Moscow Distillery Cristall is your best bet.

How to Save Money in Moscow

If it seems too good to be true It probably is. Take that proverb to heart in Moscow, and don't expect the Czarist medal you purchased off a street vendor to be worth anything more than a good memory.

If you're oblivious on the subway You'll probably leave several rubles lighter. Pickpockets prey on unsuspecting foreigners in crowded places, particularly metro cars. Beware!

If you're not scared of the dark You may be able to handle Moscow's long nights in fall, winter and spring, when hotels offer the lowest rates. December sees an average of 18 hours of sunlight … in total.

Culture & Customs

English is spoken in major hotels and restaurants, but you'll find mostly Russian speakers in the less tourist-heavy areas, such as at the market or in small inns. Some helpful Russian greetings include the informal hello (pronounced, pri-VET ); the formal hello ( Zdravst-vwee-tye ); the informal goodbye ( pah-KAH ); and the formal goodbye ( Dah svih-DA-nee-ye ). To thank someone, say " Spas-EE-ba ."

What to Eat

Traditional Russian fare focuses on hearty meat dishes and cold soup, a particularly Russian specialty. But don't arrive in Moscow thinking you'll experience only the old cuisine. Russia's new personality has been accompanied by a lavish taste for international cuisine, especially Asian food. Sushi and Asian fusion restaurants are among the most popular in the city, and other dining options include American and Italian cuisine. Eating out, like everything in Moscow, can be very expensive, but you can find cheaper restaurants in shopping centers and areas outside the city center. 

Stay alert for pickpockets when using public transport and when visiting the main tourist sites. Many an unsuspecting traveler has been relieved of some rubles on the Moscow Metro and near Red Square. Also, make sure to exercise extra caution when leaving bars and clubs at night.

There have been cases of corrupt police asking for random fines -- if this occurs, get the officer's number and name and ask to go to the police station with him or her.

Getting Around Moscow

The best way to get around Moscow is the metro. Faster and more efficient than the trolley buses and trams, this extensive system has stations that contain beautiful ornamentation, sculptures and mosaics. You could rent a car, but it's best to use public transportation to avoid the city's perpetually congested roads. Plus, street signs are all in Russian. In fact, English signs are nonexistent in the public transit system as well, so it's best to quickly get familiar with a map. Most travelers arrive through Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO), but there are several other airports that serve the metro area. Several buses and a metro line shuttle airport travelers to and from downtown.

Entry & Exit Requirements

Acquiring a visa to travel in Russia is a bit more complicated and expensive than visiting other countries. Every foreign traveler entering Russia must have a Russian-based sponsor (like a hotel, tour company, university or relative). In addition to a valid U.S. passport, you must also obtain a travel visa from a Russian embassy or consulate prior to arriving in Russia. If you plan to stay in Russia for more than seven days, you have to register your visa and migration card (the white paper document given by the border police on first entry to Russia) with the Federal Migration Service. Visas can cost anywhere from $160 to $250 per person, depending on the length of your stay. For more information on entry and exit requirements, visit the U.S. State Department website .

Red Square is one of the most famous squares in the world.

Explore More of Moscow

Things To Do

Best hotels.

You might also like

# 1 in  World's Best Places to Visit for 2023-2024

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Smart motorway tech failing on a regular basis

The technology behind England's smart motorway network stops working on a regular basis, the BBC has discovered.

Figures obtained by Panorama have revealed hundreds of incidents when crucial safety equipment was out of action.

A traffic officer who works on the network told the programme he no longer considers it safe.

National Highways - the agency in charge of smart motorways - denies the claims.

• What are smart motorways and are they dangerous?

Smart motorways are stretches of road where technology is used to try to regulate traffic flow and ease congestion.

There are 193 miles of what's called "all-lane-running" motorway - this means the hard shoulder has been permanently removed to provide an extra lane.

The hard shoulder is sometimes open to traffic on another 63 miles of smart motorway and there are a further 140 miles of the network where the hard shoulder has been retained.

Radar and cameras are supposed to spot broken-down vehicles, and warning signs are then supposed to close affected lanes.

National Highways says the latest data shows that "smart motorways are our safest roads".

However, the removal of the hard shoulder has led to concerns about the safety of drivers who break down. Cars can be left stranded in a stream of fast-flowing traffic, and emergency vehicles may struggle to get through to an incident.

Last year the government announced that it was halting the roll-out of new smart motorways because of cost and safety concerns .

It is spending £900m on technology to make the existing network safer, but there are no plans to put the hard shoulder back.

Figures released following Freedom of Information requests by Panorama show that between June 2022 and February 2024 there were 397 incidents when smart motorways lost power, making it difficult to detect when a vehicle has broken down. These outages sometimes lasted days:

• For five days in July 2023 there were no signs, signals, camera or radar at junction 18 on the M6
• In September 2023, there were no signs, signals or CCTV for five days at junction 22 of the M62
• In December 2023, there were no signs, signals, sensors or CCTV for three and a half days at junction 6 on the M5

The worst problems were in the latest period covered by the FOI figures. In the six months leading up to February 2024, there were 174 power outages - almost one a day.

The longest was at junction 14 on the M4, where there were no signals or sensors for 11 days.

Without technology or a hard shoulder, smart motorways become very dangerous, says Edmund King, president of the AA.

"If you haven't got that technology, it's not even a basic motorway because you haven't got the hard shoulder," he says. "It means that you're playing Russian roulette with people's lives."

National Highways says reinstating the hard shoulder would increase congestion and that there are well-rehearsed contingency plans to deal with power outages.

Smart Motorways: When Technology Fails

The government says new technology will make existing stretches of smart motorway safe. But what happens when the technology doesn't work? Richard Bilton reports.

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)

Power cuts are not the only problem.

National Highways' own figures show that in 2022 there were also 2,331 faults on the radar system which is designed to spot stationary vehicles. The average length of the fault was more than five days.

A traffic officer for National Highways who works on smart motorways, but wishes to stay anonymous, has told Panorama he no longer trusts the radar because he has seen it fail too many times.

"Sometimes it's faulty," he says. "Sometimes they're repairing something and they'll turn it off. I don't always know it's off."

National Highways says the radar detects 89% of stopped vehicles - but that means one in 10 are not spotted.

At least 79 people have been killed on smart motorways since they were introduced in 2010. In the past five years, seven coroners have called for them to be made safer.

National Highways' latest figures suggest that if you break down on a smart motorway without a hard shoulder you are three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than on one with a hard shoulder.

Claire Mercer has been campaigning for the return of the hard shoulder since her husband Jason died on an all-lane-running stretch of the M1 in 2019.

She says she is regularly emailed by worried insiders at National Highways who want her to warn the public about dangerous faults and outages, a situation she describes as "absolutely ridiculous".

As part of its improvement programme, the government promised in 2020 to build more emergency refuges - safety laybys that motorists can use if they are in trouble.

However, although 150 are supposed to be built by next year, only 13 have been completed so far.

National Highways says a further 34 refuges are under construction.

The agency's operational control director Andrew Page-Dove says action was being taken to "close the gap between how drivers feel and what the safety statistics show". As well as more emergency areas, this would include education campaigns, and improving the resilience of technology systems.

"Safety is our highest priority and our motorways are statistically some of the safest in the world," he says.

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With close calls mounting, the FAA will require more rest for air traffic controllers

The air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Federal regulators are increasing the amount of required rest between shifts for air traffic controllers. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

The air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Federal regulators are increasing the amount of required rest between shifts for air traffic controllers.

WASHINGTON — Twice in a week, an airline pilot was forced to abort a takeoff because other jets were entering an active runway.

A pair of incidents last week — one at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the other at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — join a growing list of close calls on runways across the country, adding to concerns about aviation safety.

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged that the agency must do more to reduce fatigue among air traffic controllers amid an ongoing staffing shortage .

A shortage of air traffic controllers is hurting safety, aviation experts warn Senate

"We need to address that fatigue risk," said FAA administrator Mike Whitaker during a virtual briefing with reporters on Friday.

"Coming into this position, it was pretty clear to me that fatigue was an issue. It's something I heard about at every facility I visited. It was usually one of the first issues I heard about," Whitaker said.

In response, the FAA is increasing the amount of rest time required between shifts to 10 hours, up from nine, and 12 hours of rest before an overnight shift. The changes will take effect in 90 days.

That announcement came as the FAA released a report on air traffic controller fatigue. A three-person panel of fatigue experts recommended the new rest requirements, along with a host of other suggested changes.

But the new policy could have unintended consequences, warns the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

"NATCA is concerned that with an already understaffed controller workforce, immediate application of the Administrator's new rules may lead to coverage holes in air traffic facilities' schedules," the union said in a statement . "Requiring controllers to work mandatory overtime to fill those holes would increase fatigue and make the new policy nothing more than window dressing."

There are 1,000 fewer certified air traffic controllers working today than a decade ago, according to NATCA. As a result, many air traffic facilities are short-staffed, union president Rich Santa told a Senate subcommittee in November. Mandatory overtime — including six-day workweeks and 10-hour shifts — are routine, he said.

The FAA has been working to address the staffing shortage of air traffic controllers, Whitaker said on Friday.

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"We also know that we're understaffed throughout the population of controllers," Whitaker said. "So we have been doing everything within our power to increase controller hiring. We met our goal last year of 1,500 controllers, and will meet our goal this year of 1,800 controllers. And we're continuing to do everything we can to increase the numbers."

Two close calls on runways last week underscore the strain on the aviation system.

On Wednesday, a tower controller at New York's Kennedy Airport cleared a SWISS Airbus A330 jet for takeoff. At the same time, a ground controller on another frequency cleared four other jets to cross the runway, according to audio from LiveATC.net.

The SWISS jet aborted its takeoff after the pilot saw the other planes on the runway.

There was a similar close call the following day at Reagan National Airport in Virginia. An air traffic controller instructed a Southwest Airlines jet to cross runway 4, while another plane operated by JetBlue Airways was starting its takeoff on the same runway. Both jets eventually arrived at their destinations, and no serious injuries were reported.

The FAA says it is investigating both incidents.

Overnight drone attack on Moscow injures 1

3rd attempt to strike capital region this week.

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Three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, Russian authorities said, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of traffic in and out of one of four airports around the Russian capital.

It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fuelling concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.

The Russian Defence Ministry referred to the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defence systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district.

Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack "insignificantly damaged" two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.

Flights delayed

No flights went into or out of Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the airspace over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed to all aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted.

Moscow authorities have also closed a street to traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area.

Without directly acknowledging that Ukraine was behind the attack on Moscow, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force said that the Russian people were seeing the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine.

"All of the people who think the war 'doesn't concern them,' it's already touching them," spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told journalists Sunday.

'No discussion of peace'

"There's already a certain mood in Russia: that something is flying in, and loudly," he said. "There's no discussion of peace or calm in the Russian interior any more. They got what they wanted."

Ihnat also referenced a drone attack on Russian-occupied Crimea overnight. Moscow announced Sunday that it had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones and neutralized eight more with an electronic jamming system. There were no casualties, officials said.

In Ukraine, the air force reported that it had destroyed four Russian drones above the country's Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Information on the attacks could not be independently verified.

Putin blames Ukraine for new drone attack on Moscow

Meanwhile, two people were killed and 20 wounded by a Russian missile strike late Saturday evening on the city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine. A four-storey building belonging to a vocational college was hit, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said. Local authorities said dormitories and teaching buildings were damaged in the blast and the fire that followed.

• Ukraine is moving its Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 in defiance of Russia
• Russia raises maximum age for military conscription to 30

Russia's Defence Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Four days earlier, two drones struck the Russian capital, one of them falling in the centre of the city near the Defence Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about three kilometres from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors.

In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down.

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Carnival cruise ship rescues nearly 30 people from adrift vessel

A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued nearly 30 people who were stuck at sea on Sunday.

The crew on Carnival Paradise saved 28 Cuban nationals who were signaling for help on a vessel that was adrift around 2:30 p.m. The cruise ship was headed from Tampa, Florida, to Roatan in Honduras at the time.

“The bridge team onboard spotted the vessel and turned the ship around to rescue them,” Carnival said in a news release . “All were taken aboard, given food and were seen by the medical team.” The cruise line also notified the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West and officials in Roatan.

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

The ship was set to visit Roatan on Monday. Carnival Paradise is on a five-day Caribbean cruise that departed from Tampa on Saturday, according to CruiseMapper .

The news comes after Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex ship rescued seven people in a small vessel adrift between Cuba and Mexico earlier this month. Another Carnival ship, Carnival Jubilee, also rescued two people stuck in a kayak off the coast of Mexico’s Isla Mujeres in January.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

They were promised jobs in Russia. They ended up fighting in Ukraine.

SRINAGAR, India — Across India , families are hearing similar stories from men who went abroad in search of work: They were lured to Russia with promises of jobs as cooks or housekeepers, only to find themselves forced to fight alongside the Russian military in its war against Ukraine .

Some families, frustrated by what they say is a lack of support from the Indian government, say they feel they have no choice but to travel to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to get their loved ones back.

“For months, the families have been awaiting government action to bring the Indian citizens back home, but so far no progress has been made,” Raja Begum, 65, told NBC News last month as she sat in the yard of her two-story home in Poshwan, a village in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Begum’s son Azad Yousuf Kumar, 31, left India for the United Arab Emirates in December. She said he had been promised a housekeeping job in Dubai by a consultant there identified as Faisal Khan, who often advertised such jobs on his YouTube channel, Baba Vlogs. In exchange for the job, Kumar paid a fee of 300,000 rupees, or $3,600, she said.

Once Kumar arrived, however, “he was informed that there were no available jobs in the UAE,” said Begum, who has been exchanging voice messages with him. Kumar told his mother that Khan said he could still get a job in another country, and convinced him to travel to Russia to work in a kitchen.

Instead, Begum said, Kumar was sent to a military training center in Moscow as soon as he landed. There he underwent 15 days of weapons training along with several other men from India and Nepal before being deployed to fight against Ukrainian forces on the front lines, Begum said, having been forced to sign a contract in a language he did not understand.

“My son had received injuries during the training period,” Begum said. “He was not allowed to have a proper rest and instead was sent close to the border where a deadly battle was going on.”

Kumar’s older brother, Sajad Ahmad Kumar, said Kumar told him that at least a dozen men from India had been trapped in a similar manner by people affiliated with the Baba Vlogs account, which had more than 350,000 subscribers as recently as February but has since been deleted. 

Attempts by NBC News to contact Khan and the Baba Vlogs team for comment were unsuccessful.

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said last month that it was aware of at least 35 Indian nationals who had been trained for combat and sent to fight in Ukraine against their will after being recruited for jobs in Russia through agents or social media. Some of them have been “grievously injured,” the agency said.

The agency said it had arrested 35 people on suspicion of being involved in human trafficking , and that it had seized about 50 million rupees ($600,000) in cash as well as incriminating documents and electronic records in searches around the country. 

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said officials were doing their best to get the men home as soon as possible.

“We have also told people not to venture in the war zone or get caught into situations which are difficult,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that India was in regular touch with Russian authorities in New Delhi and Moscow and was deeply committed to the “welfare of all Indians.”

India has ties with both Russia and the West and has tried to remain neutral in the Ukraine war, calling for peace talks while refraining from condemning President Vladimir Putin ’s invasion. It has also increased purchases of Russian oil that is steeply discounted amid Western sanctions.

Sajad Ahmad Kumar said his brother and others are now in Russian-occupied Ukraine after crossing the Black Sea under the command of two officers from the Russian army.

“Things have eased a bit for them,” he said. “He used to call from someone’s phone but now he has got his own connection.” 

He said Kumar and several other Indians had approached their embassy in Moscow for help getting home but that officials there “are not taking things seriously.”

The Indian Embassy in Moscow did not respond to requests for comment.

At least two Indian citizens have been killed while fighting alongside the Russian army on the Russia-Ukraine border. They were identified last month as Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya and Mohammad Asfan, from the states of Gujarat and Telangana.

Mangukiya’s father, Ashvinbhai Mangukiya, said his son had been hired as a helper for the Russian army.

“He was supposed to be stationed at Moscow, but he was forced to participate in the ongoing war between the two nations,” he said. 

Mangukiya went to Russia to collect his son’s body after he was killed in the Donetsk region in February. Like others, he has filed cases with the police against Khan and others associated with Baba Vlogs.

“Baba Vlogs is running a nexus,” he said. “The government should take cognizance and arrest all individuals involved in this criminal activity.”

Abdul Rouf, whose son Abdul Nayeem left for Russia in December, said he had spoken to Khan and others at Baba Vlogs when Nayeem, 30, told him they had gotten him a similar job as an army helper in Russia when he approached them in Dubai.

“The job agent assured me that he will not be handed a gun to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else,” said Rouf, a resident of Gulbarga city in the Indian state of Karnataka. His son has since told him that he is in Ukraine, and Rouf is planning to travel to Russia to try to help him.

Mohammad Mustafa, another Karnataka resident whose son is stranded in Russian-occupied Ukraine, said he was tired of waiting for news and was going to Russia himself.

“We can go to any extent to retrieve our children,” he said. 

“Two Indian citizens have already been killed and we don’t want to lose any other person.”

Muheet Ul Islam is a journalist and filmmaker based in Indian-administered Kashmir.

New Albany plans $14-million roundabout, extension of Market Street to ease traffic woes

Motorists who drive through the heart of New Albany and have had to deal with serious traffic delays will be seeing a fix to the problem this fall.

The city of New Albany plans to build an estimated $14 million roundabout and extension of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road, at the current T-end of Market Street, in order to ease traffic congestion in the former village's center. Once the roundabout is complete, crews will begin extending Market Street to the northeast and connect it with 3rd Street at East Dublin Granville Road.

Why is the city extending Market Street and building a roundabout?

Following a review of the city's strategic plan dealing with transportation and mobility, New Albany officials concluded that traffic congestion within the parts of the city needed to be addressed, said Mike Barker, city public service director.

"We're very excited to begin this project and implement improvements to some of the (traffic) congestion and address those concerns," Barker told The Dispatch.

According to the city, the most traffic congested area in New Albany is at Main (U.S. 62) and High streets, where commercial buildings, like The Eagles Villa Pizza, prevent widening the streets or adding lanes. Once completed, New Albany officials say the Market Street extension will redirect about 20% of traffic from Main and High and provide a path around a congested area of the city.

How long will construction take?

Trees on the property on the east side of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road have already been removed and replaced by a large pile of mulch. Construction of the roundabout on busy Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road at Market Street is expected to take between 18 and 24 months.

Barker told The Dispatch that the city is being intentional about the phasing of the project to give itself enough time building the roundabout so as to not severely disrupt traffic flow.

"We want to be cognizant of the traffic impact during construction," he said.

Barker said that's because there are not many options for motorists to use detours when construction begins, so they want to schedule out the project in two phases.

First, crews will complete construction of the roundabout at Market Street and Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road, then extend Market Street to connect with 3rd Street at East Dublin Granville Road (U.S. 62). Barker also said that once Market Street is connected with 3rd Street, they will more than likely change the name to Market Street and widen the existing street so that it can accommodate heaver traffic volume and parallel parking spaces.

Once completed, the roundabout would be the fourth in just under a 4-mile stretch of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road, joining other roundabouts at Morse, Clark State, and most recently, Havens Road in Jefferson Township.

Where did the land for the project come from, and what's the price tag?

The land for the project, which amounts to 3.23 acres, was donated by The New Albany Co. , a real estate company based in New Albany. The construction project is planned to go up for bid this summer.

The total cost of the roundabout and the Market Street extension is estimated at about $14 million, according to city officials. New Albany received a $244,000 grant for the project from the Ohio Public Works Commission as well as a $756,000 loan. The remaining cost will be paid for from the city's capital improvement fund, the city's website states.

[email protected]

@ShahidMeighan