Following reports of the deployment of Indians to the Russian side of the Ukrainian front, the Indian government has confirmed that Indian citizens have signed up for “support work” with the Russian army.
India’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged on Friday that “some Indian nationals had accepted support jobs in the Russian military.” The ministry has not confirmed Indian involvement in Russian combat operations.
The Hindu daily reported on Wednesday that around 18 Indians were stranded in several border towns along the Russian-Ukrainian front. According to the report, at least three of them were “forced” to fight alongside Russian soldiers. According to the newspaper report, the Indians were recruited by Dubai-based brokers and lured with high wages and a Russian passport.
Indians trained in the use of weapons
Accordingly, the Indians in Moscow were first trained by the Russian army in the use of weapons and ammunition, and then taken to the front in January. One of the recruits told the newspaper that his “repeated requests” to return home to the Indian embassy in Moscow “remained unanswered”.
According to the newspaper report, this is the first known case of alleged involvement of Indians alongside the Russian army. Previously, only a few Indian nationals had volunteered to serve in the Ukrainian army.
India’s Foreign Ministry said the Indian embassy “has regularly raised this issue with the relevant Russian authorities” to secure the early release of its citizens. “We urge all Indian nationals to exercise caution and stay away from this conflict,” it added.
Two years of war in Ukraine
Saturday marks the second year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. After more than a year of stalled fighting, Moscow is once again on the offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers are currently suffering from a lack of ammunition – partly due to the delay in further military aid from the US. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi recently said that his country is in an “extremely difficult” situation at the front.
Source: Krone
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