85 Indian Nationals Discharged from Russian Army; India Seeks Release of 20 More

A total of 85 Indian nationals recruited by the Russian military have been discharged, with Indian authorities working to secure the release of an additional 20 citizens.

This was reported by the Hindustan Times outlet, citing the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

The Indian side is in "very close touch" with interlocutors in Russia's foreign and defense ministries regarding the "issue of Indians who were, illegally or otherwise, contracted into fighting in the Russian Army," Misri stated during a media briefing on India’s Prime Minister Modi's visit to Russia for the BRICS  Summit.

Among the returnees are also the bodies of Indians killed in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Our understanding is that nearly 20 people still remain [in the Russian Army] and we are pressing our interlocutors for the early discharge of all remaining Indians in the armed forces there,” Misri said.

At the beginning of September, approximately 45 Indian nationals were discharged from the Russian army.

There is documented evidence of citizens from Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia, Somalia, and other countries being recruited into the Russian army, with many initially lured by promises of jobs and Russian passports.