‘Several Already Discharged’: MEA on Reports of Indians Fighting in Russia-Ukraine War

The external affairs ministry Monday said several Indians caught in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war have already been discharged from the Russian army. It said that every case which was brought before the Indian Embassy in Moscow was taken up with the Russian authorities and the Russian Embassy in New Delhi.

“Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. Several Indians have already been discharged as a result,” the MEA said in a statement.

The external affairs ministry said that it is pursuing early discharge of Indian nationals from the Russian army actively and as a matter of top priority. “We remain committed, as a matter of top priority, to actively pursuing with the Russian authorities all the relevant cases of Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian army,” the ministry said in its press release.

The external affairs ministry in a press release said reports of Indians seeking help regarding discharge from the Russian army are inaccurate.

Last week, during the weekly press briefing, the ministry requested all citizens to stay away from the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

“We are aware that a few Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian army. The Indian Embassy has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge. We urge all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict,” Randhir Jaiswal said, according to a press release by the ministry.

Reports by news outlets Hindustan Times and The Hindu said that few Indians were being forced to fight alongside Russian troops. The reports claimed that the Indians who had signed up as “security helpers” with the Russian army were forced to fight beside Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. The reports also said that Indian citizens were stranded at several places along the Russia-Ukraine border, in the cities of Mariupol, Kharkiv and Rostov-on-Don.