New Delhi: The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated communication with Russian authorities concerning Indian nationals embroiled in the conflict in Ukraine. The Ministry has appealed to the Russian Ministry of Defense to permit Indians to terminate their military contracts before the stipulated expiry, as per reports from The Hindu.
As per Ministry sources, several individuals were enlisted as “auxiliary personnel”. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized, “The Indian Embassy regularly engages with the relevant Russian authorities to secure their prompt release. We advise all Indian citizens to exercise caution and steer clear of this conflict.”
This plea comes following reports on February 20th from local media indicating that at least three Indians, hired by Russia as “security assistants”, were coerced into combat against Ukraine.
Sources indicate that around 18 Indians are currently stranded in various frontline cities, including Mariupol and Donetsk, with at least one confirmed fatality. These individuals fell victim to deceitful recruiters based in Dubai, who enticed them with promises of lucrative salaries and Russian citizenship for “auxiliary roles”. However, upon reaching Moscow, they underwent weapons and ammunition training before being deployed to the frontlines.
The exact count of Indian contractors serving in the Russian army remains uncertain, though sources from The Hindu suggest it to be at least 100.
The issue was initially brought to light by AIMIM party Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, who, on January 25th, urged Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to facilitate the repatriation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, citing grave risks to their lives and concerns of their families.
Last year, revelations surfaced that the Russian army had recruited over 200 individuals from Nepal—a country bordering India and China. Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Saud asserted that at least 14 of them perished in Ukraine. The Nepalese authorities demanded Russia’s immediate demobilization of the remaining soldiers and their repatriation, along with the deceased and wounded, to Nepal.
CNN sources indicate that Russia has enlisted up to 15,000 Nepalese citizens in total. Politician and activist Kritu Bhandari disclosed that since the end of January, approximately 2,000 families have sought assistance in reaching their missing relatives.
Suman Tamang, a mercenary who returned from Russia to Nepal, informed CNN, “It is actually the Nepalese and other foreign fighters who are on the frontline in the combat zone. Russians are stationed several hundred meters away as support.”
Subsequently, following this revelation, recruiters were arrested, and work permits for Nepalese individuals in Russia were suspended. Reports have also surfaced regarding mercenaries from Somalia, Syria, Cuba, and China aligning with Russia in the conflict. Furthermore, Moscow enlisted volunteers from Serbia.
