The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday warned Indian citizens against accepting offers to join the Russian Army, highlighting that doing so was “fraught with danger”.
The advisory came after a report by The Hindu on Wednesday that at least 15 Indians were stranded in the battlefield in Ukraine, where they are being forced to fight alongside the Russian military.
Two Indians in the Donetsk region told the newspaper that they went to Russia on student or visitor visas and were hired by an agent with promises of construction jobs. But they were sent to the war zone in Ukraine.
In response to questions about the report, ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian government had on several occasions over the past year “underlined the risks and dangers inherent in this course of action and cautioned Indian citizens accordingly”.
He said that India has taken up the matter with Russian authorities in New Delhi and Moscow, “asking that this practice be ended and that our nationals be released”.
The ministry added that it was in touch with the families of the affected Indians.
In January, following the death of a citizen from Kerala who was recruited by the Russian Army, the ministry had warned Indian citizens against joining the Russian military. New Delhi contends that many were duped by unscrupulous agents and are often hired as support staff such as cooks and helpers.
In July, the ministry told the Rajya Sabha that there were 127 Indian citizens in the Russian armed forces, of which 98 persons had been discharged from the military and had returned to India “as a result of sustained engagement” between the two governments.
The ministry added that 13 Indians remained in the Russian armed forces, of which 12 were reported missing by the Russian side.
The Russian defence ministry stopped recruiting Indians in April 2024, according to the country’s embassy in New Delhi. However, contracts for military service have delayed the release of several Indians.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
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