Russia Aims to Release 69 Indian Nationals

Russia Working on Discharging Indians from Its Army

Russia is actively collaborating with Indian authorities to facilitate the discharge of 69 Indian nationals who allegedly joined the Russian Army amidst its conflict with Ukraine. The Russian Embassy in Delhi confirmed on Saturday that efforts are underway to resolve the situation for these individuals who are said to have “voluntarily contracted for military services” in Russia.

The Embassy clarified that since April of this year, Russia’s defense ministry has suspended the recruitment of foreign nationals, including Indians, into its armed forces. The statement emphasized the close cooperation between Russian and Indian agencies to expedite the identification and discharge process for these Indian nationals.

In its statement, the Embassy extended condolences to the families of those who have died during the Russian military operations in Ukraine. It also assured that all contractual obligations and due compensation would be provided to the Indian nationals who have been killed or injured in the ongoing conflict.

The statement refuted claims that Russia was involved in fraudulent schemes to recruit Indian nationals. It stressed that the Russian Government has not conducted any deceptive or obscure campaigns to enlist Indian citizens.

This update follows remarks by India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, who indicated that the Indian government is awaiting the release of the 69 Indians recruited into the Russian Army. Jaishankar emphasized the importance of ensuring that Indian citizens are not serving in foreign armies and highlighted that there are currently 91 reported cases of Indian nationals being recruited into the Russian military. Among these, eight have died, 14 have returned with government assistance, and 69 are still awaiting release.

The matter was also addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve it.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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