Russia Denies Allegations of Recruiting Indians in Military Through Fraudulent Scheme

The Russian Embassy in India expressed its condolences for the deaths of Indian nationals serving in their army as well as while serving in the Russian Army during the war against Ukraine. They conveyed deep condolences to the Indian Government and the families of the deceased.

The Embassy mentioned that the concerned agencies in both countries are closely coordinating for early identification and discharge of Indian nationals who voluntarily contracted for military service in Russia, and assured that all contractual obligations and due compensation payments will be fulfilled. Notably, several Indians were allegedly deceived into fighting in Russia’s war with Ukraine under the guise of lucrative jobs.

In response to this, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have addressed the issue, with the Russian government assuring an “early discharge” for the Indian nationals recruited into their army. It was revealed that 91 Indian nationals were recruited into the Russian Army, of whom 14 have been discharged and 69 are awaiting release.

Unfortunately, eight Indian nationals serving in the Russian forces had passed away. In April, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) uncovered a major human trafficking network operating across the country, targeting Indian nationals by promising lucrative jobs abroad but actually sending them to the Russia-Ukraine war zone.

The traffickers operated as an organized network, luring Indian nationals through social media and local contacts for highly paid jobs in Russia.