India urges Moscow to release 44 Indians serving in Army
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that 44 Indian citizens are currently serving in the Russian Army and that New Delhi has urged Moscow to release them immediately.
“As per our understanding, there are 44 Indian nationals presently serving in the Russian army. We are in touch with the Russian side,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing, noting that “We are also in touch with the families of these people and giving them updates on the matter.”
Jaiswal said India has also asked Russia to halt the recruitment of Indian nationals into its armed forces. “We once again take this opportunity to convey to all that one should stay away from offers being made to serve in the Russian Army because it is fraught with danger to life,” he said.
The ministry reiterated that many Indians have been duped by agents promising support jobs like cooks and helpers but were later forced to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine.
“We once again take this opportunity to convey to all that one should stay away from offers being made to serve in the Russian army, because it is an offer that is fraught with danger to life and there is risk to life,” he warned, noting that “In spite of our repeated reminders, people continue to enlist. Obviously, if somebody wants to do it, he or she, we cannot stop him. But we continue to press that you must be aware of the dangers that are there once you sign up for these jobs.”
“People are not tricked into joining such risky endeavors,” he said.
Earlier, the MEA had sought the early discharge of Indians after Binil T.B., a 32-year-old electrician from Kerala who the Russian Army employed died in Ukraine.
In September, India urged Moscow to release 27 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian military. The ministry has issued multiple advisories warning citizens against joining the Russian Army, especially after several deaths were reported.
According to official data, 127 Indians had joined the Russian armed forces, of whom 98 were discharged and repatriated through diplomatic efforts. At least 10 Indians have died while serving in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with Binil’s death being the latest.
In April 2024, the Russian Defence Ministry reportedly stopped recruiting Indians, but ongoing contracts have delayed the release of some personnel.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Ukraine’s military said on Saturday it was stepping up assaults around Dobropillia to relieve pressure on Pokrovsk, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian troops were massing near Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also claimed that over 1,400 citizens from about 36 African countries are fighting alongside Russian forces, calling Moscow’s recruitment drive a “death sentence” and urging African governments to warn their citizens.
