New Delhi, October 3, 2026: Around 140 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian Army have been discharged, while India is seeking the whereabouts of 55 others who are reportedly still serving, according to details shared at a consultative committee meeting on India–Russia relations chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
The briefing stated that the Government of India has engaged Russian authorities, including at the highest levels, for the early discharge of all such individuals. “So far, around 140 Indian nationals have been discharged. Indian side is in touch with Russian authorities for the whereabouts of 55 Indian nationals who are reportedly in the Russian Army. Strong action being taken by the Indian law enforcement authorities against unscrupulous agents,” the update from the meeting said, as cited by ANI.
The figures follow an earlier account by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Speaking last month on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Misri said India had information on 227 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian Army, of whom 139 had been discharged and 51 had died. He said the matter had been raised with Moscow “at various levels on various occasions,” and that the Embassy in Moscow was monitoring release and repatriation so that remaining cases could be discharged at the earliest.
In July, the Ministry of External Affairs had said diplomatic efforts had secured the release of 139 Indians and that about two dozen were still reportedly serving. The latest figure of 55 whose whereabouts are being sought indicates that New Delhi is pressing for clarity on a larger set of cases than the “two dozen” cited earlier.
The issue has remained on the bilateral agenda since reports emerged of Indians travelling to Russia on tourist or student visas after being offered civilian work, often as cooks or helpers, and then being induced to sign contracts in Russian before deployment with military units in the Ukraine conflict. Many of those affected are from Punjab, Haryana and other northern states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the matter with President Vladimir Putin during the annual India–Russia summit in Moscow in July 2024. In early September, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was compiling a list of Indian citizens still on the battlefield and would send them home once identified, describing contact with the Indian side as “deep and profound.”
On September 30, the MEA issued a fresh advisory strongly discouraging Indians from joining the Russian armed forces. It warned of “mortal dangers,” noted continued reports of recruitment despite earlier appeals, and said some individuals had willingly sought such offers in the expectation of monetary benefits and later release through the Indian government. The advisory also flagged cases in which nationals had approached authorities to renounce Indian citizenship, obtain a Russian passport and then enlist, and cautioned against job offers from non-public entities and agents not registered with the Ministry.
Families of affected persons have approached the Supreme Court seeking consular intervention, confirmation of whereabouts, repatriation of those still in service, return of mortal remains, and compensation. Indian law-enforcement agencies have been acting against agents accused of facilitating the recruitment.
Jaishankar, in a post on X after the meeting, said the committee had reviewed the multifaceted India–Russia engagement in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, culture and people-to-people ties, as well as India’s support for dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict. The discussion came days after President Putin, speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, acknowledged that Prime Minister Modi had consistently raised the question of ending the conflict despite close bilateral ties.
