New Delhi: Fifty one of the 227 Indian nationals identified as having been recruited into the Russian armed forces have died, while 139 have been discharged, the foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, said on Monday. India remains in discussions with Moscow over unresolved cases and is seeking their early discharge and repatriation.
Misri disclosed the latest figures during a Ministry of External Affairs briefing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
“At last count, we had information about 227 Indian nationals” recruited into the Russian army, Misri said. He added that 139 had been discharged and that the government had information about “51 people who have perished so far”.
The official figures leave a numerical difference of 37 after accounting for those discharged and those confirmed dead. The MEA, however, has not said that all 37 are currently serving with Russian military units, and Misri did not give a separate figure for nationals whose cases remain unresolved.
India continues talks with Russia
Misri said the recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian armed forces had been discussed between New Delhi and Moscow “at various levels on various occasions”. The Indian embassy in Moscow was regularly monitoring cases involving their release and repatriation, he said.
India remained in discussions with the Russian authorities to ensure that “any cases that remain” were discharged at the earliest so that the nationals concerned could return to their families. The latest figures were released after the prime minister, Narendra Modi, met the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek.
The official account of their bilateral meeting said the two leaders discussed political and economic ties, defence, energy, mobility, people-to-people relations and regional and global issues. It did not state that the issue of Indian nationals recruited into Russian military units was specifically raised by Modi with Putin during the meeting.
How Indians were recruited
The issue emerged publicly in 2024 after reports that Indian nationals had travelled to Russia for employment and were subsequently recruited into military units.
Some Indians were allegedly lured to Russia with promises of jobs or other opportunities. Reuters reported in March 2024 that at least two Indians had gone to Russia expecting to work as “helpers” in the country’s army but later died while fighting at the front, according to their families.
Earlier reporting said some Indians were recruited for support roles, including as cooks and helpers. The circumstances were not uniform, however, and the Indian government has not said that all 227 nationals were recruited through deception or that all performed the same role.
The MEA has repeatedly warned Indian citizens against accepting risky overseas employment offers linked to the conflict and has pursued cases involving nationals seeking discharge from Russian military units.
Misri did not describe all 51 deaths as combat fatalities. He said the government had information that 51 people had “perished so far”, without detailing the circumstances of each death.
Supreme Court stepped in over families’ concerns
The Supreme Court had intervened in the matter on July 31 after petitions raised concerns over Indians who had died, gone missing or suffered injuries after being recruited into Russian military units.
A bench comprising the chief justice of India, Surya Kant, and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed the MEA to designate a nodal officer to coordinate with affected families.
The court also directed the ministry to facilitate DNA matching where required, help families pursue compensation claims with Russian authorities and assist in the repatriation of mortal remains. The petition was not kept pending after the directions were issued.
The total placed before the Supreme Court in July was lower than Misri’s latest figure of 227.
New Delhi has said it will continue engaging Moscow over unresolved cases. Misri said the issue remained under “constant discussions with the Russian side”, while the Indian embassy in Moscow continued to pursue release and repatriation so that the affected nationals could return to their families.