India said on Thursday that it has asked Russia to end the practice of recruiting its nationals in the military and release them amid the war in Ukraine.
This comes as reports emerged in India that more Indian nationals have been recruited into the Russian army to fight in Ukraine.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government has, over the past year, “underlined the risks and dangers inherent in this course of action and cautioned Indian citizens accordingly.”
“We have also taken up the matter with Russian authorities, both in Delhi and Moscow, asking that this practice be ended and that our nationals be released,” he said on Thursday.
The ministry urged “all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army as this is a course fraught with danger.”
Dozen Indians missing
In July this year, the Indian parliament was informed that there were 127 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, out of which the services of 98 individuals were discontinued “as a result of sustained engagement between the Indian and Russian governments.”
The ministry said 13 Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces, out of which 12 individuals have been reported missing by the Russian side.
Before that, in March, the Indian government had said 12 Indian nationals had lost their lives during the ongoing conflict.
Despite Russia’s earlier assurances that no more Indians would be admitted into its army, cases continue to surface. The war, which began in February 2022, has drawn in scores of Indians who were misled into frontline roles, with some casualties reported.
