Stop recruiting Indians into Military, free all serving nationals says India to Russia

India on Thursday firmly asked Russia to stop recruiting Indian nationals into its armed forces and pressed for the immediate release of those already serving in non-combat roles like support staff.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued the demand after receiving fresh reports of Indians being enlisted by Russian military units.

“We are aware of Indian nationals recently recruited into the Russian army,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.He reminded that the government had repeatedly warned citizens over the past year about the serious risks of joining such ventures and had urged them to stay away from such offers.Jaiswal said the matter had been formally raised with Russian authorities both in New Delhi and Moscow.“We have asked for this practice to end and for our citizens to be released. We are also coordinating with the families of the affected individuals,” he noted.

The MEA once again advised Indians not to be misled by employment offers in the Russian military, calling it a “dangerous course of action.”