New Delhi: Eight Indian nationals have died while serving in the Russian military, the government said in parliament on Thursday (August 1). It had previously confirmed only four of these deaths.
Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh was responding to questions asked in the Rajya Sabha on the conscription of Indian nationals to the Russian army.
“Eight deaths have been reported where the citizenship of the deceased has been verified as Indian,” Singh said in response.
He also said the government had been requested to facilitate the early discharge of “some Indian nationals purportedly recruited into the Russian armed forces in unclear circumstances” but that the exact number of such individuals was “not known”.
However, Singh said that currently available information indicated that 12 Indian nationals had already left the Russian armed forces, while another 63 were seeking early discharge.
Many youth from states including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have been going to Russia in search of employment opportunities, assisted by travel agents.
Once in Russia, these youth are being forced to sign contracts to join the Russian army on the battleground.
Prior to Singh’s response in parliament, the external affairs ministry had confirmed the deaths of four Indians serving in Russia’s military.
The Wire reported on the death of an additional Indian, a 22-year-old from Haryana, although the government did not confirm his death.
In the Rajya Sabha, Singh said financial support had been extended for the transportation of the mortal remains of four Indian nationals and assured that such support would continue in other cases when required.
He added that Russia had informed India that compensation would be provided to the families of the deceased individuals as per the contracts they had signed.
Singh further said that India was strongly taking up the case of Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces with the authorities at the highest level in the Russian government. He recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “strongly reiterated the urgent need for early release of all Indian nationals from the Russian armed forces” during his visit to Moscow last month.
“MEA has also urged all Indian nationals to exercise due caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia and stay away from this conflict,” Singh also said.
Then-foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra had told reporters in Moscow during Modi’s visit that the Russians had “promised [the] early discharge of all Indian nationals from the service of the Russian army”. This was not, however, mentioned in the MEA’s written answer.
