According to the MEA, around 267 Indian nationals have joined the Russian armed forces, resulting in 51 deaths and 139 discharges. The Indian government strongly warns against voluntarily enlisting for financial rewards under the false assumption that diplomatic assistance will guarantee a safe release.
Around 267 Indian nationals have joined the Russian armed forces, of whom 51 have reportedly died and 139 have been discharged, according to the latest status report submitted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The government has also reported cases of Indians voluntarily enlisting in the military in order to receive financial rewards, with some of them thinking that Indian diplomatic assistance would eventually guarantee their release.
The Indian government and the Indian Ambassador in Moscow were following up with Russian authorities to determine the whereabouts of 77 Indian people, according to the MEA’s status report, which was submitted on October 12. According to Live Law, seven of them have been officially declared missing by Russian authorities.
The revelation coincides with ongoing official cautions against enlisting in the Russian military, especially through unreliable job offers from abroad. The MEA has cautioned that individuals who enlist in the Russian armed forces in the expectation of receiving financial benefits and subsequently returning home through government intervention are exposing themselves to potentially fatal risks.
In an advisory issued on September 30, the MEA said it had encountered several instances of Indian nationals willingly seeking offers to join the Russian armed forces, expecting to receive monetary benefits and later secure their release with the help of the Indian government.
According to the ministry, throughout the previous two years, the government had warned Indian residents not to accept job offers from unidentified people and had frequently emphasised the dangers of such recruiting.
“We have also come across numerous instances wherein individuals are willingly seeking out offers to join the Russian armed forces with an understanding that they would be able to avail concomitant monetary benefits, and later secure release by approaching the Indian government,” the MEA said in its advisory.
“It is reiterated that this is a dangerous path and is strongly discouraged by the government,” it added.
The advisory also highlighted cases in which Indian nationals had approached authorities seeking to give up their Indian citizenship and obtain Russian passports before joining the Russian armed forces.
The government claims that certain people, drawn by short-term financial incentives, have already performed these actions without first engaging Indian authorities.
The government advised Indians to think about the repercussions of their choices and not to follow this path. It also urged Indians seeking employment abroad to verify recruitment agencies and avoid offers from unregistered agents, stressing that the prospect of short-term financial gains should not outweigh the serious risks associated with joining a foreign military.