MEA says several Indians discharged from Russian Army after India ‘strongly took up the cases’

Kin of a missing J&K resident says their calls to Indian mission have gone unanswered; another Indian worker says documents provided to Indian Embassy in January, yet no response was received

The Hindu had reported that several workers hired as security helpers for the Russian Army have approached the Indian Embassy in Moscow seeking government’s help to return home. Representational file image. | Photo Credit: AP

The Ministry of External Affairs said on February 26 that several Indians who joined the Russian Army were already discharged after such cases were “strongly” taken up with the Russian authorities.

The Ministry said it has “seen some inaccurate reports in the media regarding Indians with the Russian Army seeking help for discharge.”

The Hindu had reported that several workers hired as security helpers for the Russian Army have approached the Indian Embassy in Moscow seeking government’s help to return home but have not received a response.

“Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. Several Indians have already been discharged as a result. We remain committed, as a matter of top priority, to actively pursuing with the Russian authorities all the relevant cases of Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian Army,” the Ministry said.

On February 23, the Ministry had stated that it approached the Russian authorities for “early discharge” of Indians and urged Indian nationals to stay away from the conflict.

On Monday, the brother of Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh (32), a resident of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir who has been incommunicado since January after he joined the Russian Army, told The Hindu that multiple calls and messages to the Indian Embassy have gone unanswered.

Mudasir Amin said that his brother was working at Chandigarh when he got an offer to work in Russia while watching a YouTube video. “He got engaged a few months ago and reached Russia in December 2023. He regularly spoke with us but on January 1 he told us that he is going for training and his number would be unreachable for the next three months,” Mr. Amin said.

He added that the same month, another worker who was with Mr. Zahoor and had escaped the war zone, called their father and said they were stuck. “We did not worry till then as Zahoor told us he would be in a no-network zone, but when we started calling him, his Indian and Russian phone numbers were not reachable,” Mr. Amin said.

An agent helped the family lodge a complaint with the emergency numbers of the Indian Embassy on January 23 and submitted the copies of their documents with the mission. “We filed a complaint with the local police. We have written several mails. Our calls to the Indian mission either remain unanswered or they say they officials are in a meeting. They keep saying that all paperwork has been done and sent further to the Russian authorities,” Mr. Amin said.

He added that Mr. Zahoor holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and went to Russia as he was promised the job of a security helper. “He was made to sign a contract that was in Russian language. He did not know he will be sent to the war zone. We request the government to get him back,” Mr. Amin said.

Another J&K resident, Azad Yusuf Kumar, who was hit by a bullet during training has also appealed for a return.

Surinder Paul (27), a resident of Jammu said he was stuck in a bunker with another Indian in Ukraine. “We first approached the Indian mission through our agent on January 24. All documents were provided but we are still here. We want to come back. The Russians tell us that we cannot leave as the contract we signed states that we have to be here for a year,” said Mr. Paul.

The Hindu reported on February 20 that at least three Indians who were hired as security helpers by Russia were forced to fight alongside the country’s forces on the Russia-Ukraine border. The Hindu subsequently reported that there are around 100 Indians who are said to have been hired by the Russian Army in the past one year.

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 24, 2022. While a few Indians volunteered to join the International Legion created to fight Russian forces in Ukraine in 2022, the presence of Indians on Russian side in combat role has been reported the first time.