MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (Image credits: PTI)
NEW DELHI: India has asked Russia to release 27 more of its citizens who were recently recruited into the Russian military, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Friday.”As per our information, 27 Indian nationals are presently serving in the Russian army. We are also in close touch with their family members in the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Jaiswal said the government has taken up the issue at the highest levels. “We have strongly raised this matter with Russian authorities in Moscow and with the Russian embassy in New Delhi, and asked for them to be freed as soon as possible. We are trying to get them out,” he said.The MEA also issued a fresh warning to citizens. “We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from the offers being made to serve in the Russian army as they are fraught with danger and risk to life,” Jaiswal added, as quoted by PTI.One such case is that of Rakesh Kumar, a 30-year-old from Uttarakhand, who had travelled to Russia for higher studies. His family alleged that he was coerced into joining the Russian army and sent to the war front in Ukraine. They said they have had no contact with him since early September and are desperate for help. The family had written to the MEA, sought assistance from the Indian embassy in Moscow, and approached local officials in a bid to bring him back. Reports indicate that some Indians holding student and business visas were forced into joining Russian military units deployed on the frontlines in Ukraine. India has repeatedly asked Russia to release all Indians serving as support staff, including cooks and helpers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also raised the issue during his visit to Moscow last year.According to official figures, more than 150 Indians have been recruited into the Russian military. At least 12 have been killed, 96 discharged, and 16 remain missing.
