On Monday, the Indian government said that several Indians employed as support staff to the Russian Army were released after it took up the matter with Russian authorities. The statement comes amid reports that over 100 Indians employed as support staff in the Russian Army are being forced to fight in the Ukraine War.
Reports “Inaccurate”
Dismissing the reports of Indians in the Russian Army seeking help for discharge as “inaccurate,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities.”
It added that the cases brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, and as a consequence, several Indians have already been discharged.
Media reports regarding Indian nationals seeking discharge from the Russian Army:https://t.co/khl2aGAF2h pic.twitter.com/QmLC8WS5TR
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 26, 2024
The MEA highlighted that India remains “fully committed” to aggressively pursuing with the Russian authorities any pertinent cases involving Indian citizens seeking an early release from the Russian Army.
Indians in the Russian Army
On Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal acknowledged that a few Indian nationals had signed up for support jobs with the Russian Army. “The Indian Embassy has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge,” a press release linked to the matter read.
Additionally, the MEA urged all Indian nationals to “exercise due caution” and stay away from the conflict.
Several Indians reportedly joined the Russian Army as security helpers and were being forced to face gunfire on the battlefield. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi raised the matter with the government and said that the workers were tricked into volunteering for the Army and forced onto the battlefield.
23-Year-Old Gujarati Man Killed
As per a recent report by The Hindu, a 23-year-old Gujarati man, Hemil Ashvinbhai Mungukiya, was killed in a Ukrainian airstrike in the Donetsk region of the Russia-Ukraine border on 21 February.
The man was in Russia since December 2023 and worked with the Russian Army. The information was provided by another person who escaped the strike. However, the MEA has said that it has not been informed about the particular incident.