In a significant development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that 35 Indian nationals have been discharged from the Russian Army since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow in July. This follows Russia’s pledge to release any Indians who were falsely induced to join its forces and subsequently forced into active combat in Ukraine.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed the news, stating that the Indian government is continuing its efforts to secure the release of an additional 50 Indian nationals currently serving in the Russian Army. He emphasized, “Since PM Modi visited Russia in July, 35 Indians have been discharged from the Russian Army. Before the PM’s visit, 10 Indian nationals were discharged. Around 50 Indian nationals are still with the Russian Army, and we are trying our best to get them discharged as early as possible.”
This development comes after Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney informed Parliament on September 10 that Russia had decided to discharge 12 Indian nationals, including some from Punjab.
Back in July, a top Russian diplomat had assured that Moscow was working towards a swift resolution of the issue concerning Indian nationals recruited into the Russian Army. Russia’s Charge d’affaires Roman Babushkin clarified that Moscow never intended for Indians to be part of its armed forces and that their number was insignificant in the context of the ongoing conflict. He emphasized, “We are on the same side with the Indian government on the issue. We hope that the issue will be resolved soon.” Babushkin further added, “Let us be very clear, we have never wanted Indians to be part of the Russian Army. You would never see any announcement by Russian authorities on this.”
The Russian diplomat explained that most of the Indians were recruited under commercial arrangements, driven by a desire to earn money.
