Government confirms reports that “some” Indians are joining Russian troops
February 23, 2024, 4:53 pm Listen to the article
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At first there are only reports, then official confirmation follows: the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs admits that “some” Indian citizens work in the Russian army. However, authorities did not confirm rumors of participation in hostilities in Ukraine.
Following reports of Indians deployed to the Russian side of the Ukrainian front, the Indian government has confirmed that Indian nationals have signed up for “support work” with the Russian army. India's Foreign Ministry admitted “that some Indian nationals have taken support jobs in the Russian army”. The ministry has not confirmed Indian involvement in Russian combat operations.
Daily newspaper “The Hindu” reported on Wednesday that around 18 Indians were stranded in several border towns along the Russian-Ukrainian front. According to the report, at least three of them were “forced” to fight alongside Russian soldiers. According to the newspaper report, the Indians were recruited by Dubai-based brokers and lured with high salaries and a Russian passport.
Thus, Indians were first trained in Moscow by the Russian army in the use of weapons and ammunition and then taken to the front in January. One of the recruits told the newspaper that his “repeated requests” to return home to the Indian embassy in Moscow remained “unanswered”.
Indian authorities are in contact with Russia
According to the newspaper's report, this is the first known case of alleged involvement of Indians alongside the Russian army. Previously, only a few Indian citizens had volunteered to serve in the Ukrainian army.
India's foreign ministry said the Indian embassy “regularly raised this issue with relevant Russian authorities” to ensure the early release of its citizens. “We urge all Indian citizens to exercise caution and stay away from this conflict,” he said.
Saturday marks the second anniversary of the start of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. After more than a year of stalemate fighting, Moscow returns to the offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers are currently suffering from a lack of ammunition – in part due to the delay in additional US military aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said that his country finds itself in an “extremely difficult” situation at the front.