Moscow to release Indians tricked into joining Russian Army: Reports
Several Indians, who went to Russia tempted by the promise of lucrative jobs by touts, were hoodwinked into joining the Russian Army to fight the Ukraine war
Moscow has reportedly agreed to release the Indians who were misled into joining the Russian Army to fight the ongoing war in Ukraine and even help with their return to their homeland. The development came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the topic with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his ongoing visit to that country, media reports said.
Several Indians, who went to Russia tempted by the promise of lucrative jobs or education by touts, were hoodwinked into joining the Russian Army to fight the war against Ukraine. At least four of them have been killed in the war so far. Some of these recruits managed to release videos of their plight.
According to the data with the Ministry of External Affairs, some 30 to 40 Indians could be serving in the Russian Army. In the videos, they had claimed that they could not leave the army despite wishing to do so. So far, 10 Indians have been brought back.
"Broadly agreed"
On Tuesday (July 9), news agency PTI reported quoting top sources that Russia had "broadly heeded to India’s call" to end the recruitment of Indians as support staff to the Russian military and ensure the return of those still operating in the force.
It is learnt that the issue was brought up by Modi during an informal meeting with Putin on Monday night.
An announcement on Russia’s decision to discharge all Indians working as support staff to the Russian Army is expected to be made after summit talks between Modi and Putin on Tuesday.
Russia has broadly agreed to our request on the issue, a source told PTI.
Demand for “verified stop”
Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said two more Indian nationals serving with the Russian Army were killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, taking the number of such deaths to four.
Following the deaths of these two Indians, New Delhi demanded a “verified stop” to further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army.
The MEA had also said the issue of Indian nationals serving with the Russian Army remains a matter of “utmost concern” and demanded action from Moscow over it.
In March this year, 30-year-old Hyderabad resident Mohammed Asfan succumbed to injuries sustained while serving with Russian troops on the frontlines with Ukraine.
In February, Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangua, a 23-year-old resident of Surat in Gujarat, died in a Ukrainian air strike while serving as a “security helper” in the Donetsk region.
Action against unscrupulous agents
The Indian government in March said they had strongly taken up the matter with Russian authorities for the early discharge of Indians working in the Russian army. The government also said that it was taking strong action against unscrupulous agents who had recruited people based on false promises.
It has been difficult for the authorities in India to establish contact with Indians serving with the Russian army on the frontlines because of the constant movement of their units and the lack of proper communication, a source told PTI.
The external affairs ministry had earlier warned Indian citizens to be cautious while exploring employment opportunities in Russia.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently broke up a human trafficking network working across several states that attracted young men through social media channels and agents with the promise of highly-paid jobs in Russia.
(With agency inputs)
