A political controversy erupted on Tuesday after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP alleged that Indian citizens are being coerced into joining the Russian Army and sent to fight on the Ukraine frontline, even as their families continue to plead for government intervention. The party accused the Centre of ignoring distress calls from trapped recruits and their relatives.
AAP released an undated compilation video showing a man in military uniform claiming that he and five others were tricked by a travel agent into travelling to Russia, where they were allegedly forced to enlist and threatened with punishment if they refused to go to the battlefield. The video also featured several family members saying they had not heard from their relatives in months. One woman tearfully stated that her son had not returned from Russia for two months and that she had no clarity about his safety or whereabouts.
The allegations come weeks after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA formally acknowledged that Indians are serving in the Russian Army. On November 7, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that at least 44 Indian nationals were currently part of Russian military units and that India had taken up the matter with Moscow to secure their release. He also cautioned Indians against accepting job offers linked to Russia’s armed forces, stressing that enlistment posed a severe risk to life. In the same briefing, he noted that earlier this year, 127 Indians had joined the Russian Army and that sustained diplomatic efforts had helped secure the discharge of 98 of them. At the time, 13 individuals remained in service and 12 were reported missing.
Despite repeated warnings, the MEA admitted that some Indians continued to enlist, often lured by promises of high-paying jobs abroad. For the families who have lost contact with their sons and brothers now deployed in a war zone, the appeals for government help have become increasingly desperate.
The controversy has now become politically charged, with AAP accusing the Modi government of ignoring Indian citizens trapped in the conflict, while the government maintains it is working through diplomatic channels to bring the remaining recruits back safely from Russia.
