Moscow: In a big win for India, Russia has decided to discharge and facilitate the return of all Indian nationals working in the Russian Army after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. India was expected to strongly raise the issue of Indians recruited into the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the death of two people, seeking their expeditious discharge.
India was expected to strongly raise the issue of Indian nationals recruited into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, seeking their expeditious discharge. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar strongly raised the matter with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on July 4.
Indian nationals duped to join Russian Army
It is pertinent to note that the Ministry of External Affairs in June said two Indian nationals who had been recruited by the Russian Army were killed in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. India has taken up the matter of early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army.
"Several Indians have been pressed into services with the Russian Army, only when they come back we will know the full circumstances. But, whatever the circumstances are, to us it is unacceptable that Indian citizens find themselves in the army of another country in a warzone," Jaishankar told news agency ANI in an interview, adding that India is in touch with the Russian Defence Ministry over the matter.
The MEA confirmed in April, that among the Indian nationals who were working as support staff in the Russian Army, 10 have returned to India. As many as 20 others were allegedly duped into fighting for the Russian Army in the war against Ukraine on the pretext of lucrative jobs.
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