India has officially confirmed that 44 Indian nationals are currently serving in the Russian Army and has issued a strong advisory warning its citizens against taking up such roles. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Friday that it has raised the issue with Russian authorities and is working to secure the release and safe return of the Indian recruits.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the ministry’s weekly briefing, said, “In the last few months, we have been informed of several Indian nationals recruited in the Russian army. We have once again taken up the matter with the Russian authorities to have them released at the earliest, as also to put an end to this practice.”
He confirmed that “as per our understanding, 44 Indian nationals are currently serving in the Russian army.” The government is in close touch with their families and the Russian side to facilitate their return. Jaiswal stressed that Indians should not accept any job offers that involve enlistment in the Russian military, warning that such service involves “serious risk to life.”
The warning follows multiple reports that Indian nationals, lured by false promises of lucrative jobs in Russia, were instead deployed in conflict zones amid the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. Many were allegedly recruited by private agents posing as job consultants and later coerced into signing contracts with the Russian military. Families of several such men recently staged protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding urgent government intervention and repatriation of their relatives.
The issue has gained urgency ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned visit to India in December. Diplomatic discussions are expected to address this matter directly, with India pressing Moscow to ensure that no further recruitment of its nationals occurs.
Friday’s press briefing also saw the MEA respond to another international development — former US President Donald Trump’s claim that Pakistan had resumed secret nuclear testing. Jaiswal called such activity “in keeping with Pakistan’s history of clandestine and illegal nuclear behaviour,” citing decades of proliferation under the A.Q. Khan network and repeated export control violations. He said India has consistently drawn global attention to Pakistan’s record and has “taken note of President Trump’s comment” on the matter.
The twin statements — one addressing Indian nationals caught in Russia’s military and the other reaffirming India’s stance on Pakistan’s nuclear record — underscore New Delhi’s active diplomatic engagement amid heightened geopolitical volatility.
