India’s MEA ‘pressing hard’ with Russia to discharge trafficked nationals forced to fight for Army

India on March 15, 2024, said it is pressing Russia very hard for the early discharge of Indians serving as support staff in the Russian Army. After two Indians, working in similar positions, lost their lives, India, last week called on its nationals not to risk their lives by taking up such jobs.

“We are pressing very hard with the Russian authorities for early discharge of our people who were stuck there,” External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. Jaiswal also referred to his earlier comments that 20 odd Indians have approached the Indian embassy in Moscow.

He said efforts are underway to bring back the mortal remains of two Indians. “The paperwork of their mortal remains have been done. The funeral agencies which we have engaged has been handed over the bodies. We are in touch with the family,” Jaiswal said.

“We are also in touch with Russian authorities and hopefully we will have the mortal remains in India by the end of this week,” he added. Previous week, the Indian Embassy in Moscow, confirmed the death of Mohammed Asfan from Hyderabad, who was duped into joining Russia’s wars against Ukraine.

Asfan was the second Indian to be killed after the death of Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangukiya, a 23-year-old resident of Gujarat. He died in a Ukrainian airstrike last month while serving as the security helper in the Donetsk region. To a question on the conflict in Ukraine, Jaiswal said New Delhi’s position has been consistent.

Last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it had busted a human trafficking network spread across several states that lured gullible young men through social media channels and agents with the promise of highly paid jobs in Russia.

The trafficked Indians were trained in combat roles and deployed against their wishes at frontline bases in the Russia-Ukraine war zone putting their lives in great danger, the CBI said. Some Indian’s who have been discharged from the Russian forces have decided to stay in the country.

The Indians working as support staff are in far-off areas and there are difficulties in bringing them back, he said. All the efforts of the Indian side are focused on bringing them back speedily, he said.

“We have been very consistent in our position on the Russia-Ukraine war. We continue to encourage a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We remain open to engaging all ways and means that could help achieve this objective,” he said.