The Daily Populous Sunday August 4th, 2024 night edition
Authored by hindustantimes.com and submitted by Even_Jellyfish_214

The government informed Parliament on Thursday that eight Indian nationals have so far been killed while serving with the Russian Army, double the number formally acknowledged by the external affairs ministry. Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh at the Parliament House complex. (PTI Photo)

Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question that the exact number of Indian nationals recruited into Russia’s armed forces is not known, though 63 Indians have sought early discharge.

The external affairs ministry had till now acknowledged the death of only four Indian nationals while serving with the Russian military on the frontlines of the conflict with Ukraine. Most of the Indians were recruited as support staff, such as cooks and helpers, and accompanied their units to the warfront.

“Eight deaths have been reported where the citizenship of the deceased has been verified as Indian,” Singh said while replying to a question from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak.

“Information available currently indicates that 12 Indian nationals have already left the Russian armed forces while another 63 individuals are seeking early discharge,” Singh said.

The government has received requests for facilitating the early discharge of “some Indian nationals purportedly recruited into the Russian armed forces in unclear circumstances”. He added, “The exact number of such Indian nationals is not known.”

The recruitment of Indians into the Russian military became a hot button issue following the deaths of several nationals earlier this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual bilateral summit in Moscow last month, and the Indian side reportedly secured a promise that all such persons would be speedily sent back.

In June, India had also demanded a “verified stop” to the recruitment of Indian nationals in the Russian Army.

Singh said the government has provided financial support for transporting the bodies of four Indian nationals to the country and it will do the same for other cases when required.

In addition, the Russian government has informed the Indian side that compensation will be paid to the families of the dead Indians in “accordance with the contracts signed by them”, Singh said.

The early discharge of Indian nationals in Russia’s armed forces, as well as their safety and well-being, has been taken up strongly by the government with relevant authorities in Russia at various levels.

Singh said that Modi, during his recent visit to Russia, “strongly reiterated the urgent need for early release of all Indian nationals” from Russia’s armed forces. The external affairs ministry has urged all Indians to “exercise due caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia” and to “stay away from this conflict”.

FadingStar617 on August 3rd, 2024 at 20:28 UTC »

Only 8? I'm surprised it,s not higher.

War is brutal.

AravRAndG on August 3rd, 2024 at 08:33 UTC »

For people about to comment something stupid. Indians are being trafficked from India , Several of them were lied too, they were told they needed to do stuff like cleaning etc but were forced to fight. India is a poor country and several desperate people need money to support their family, they don't care how they earn it. There is a HUGE chunk of people who dont even know there is a war going on between Russia and Ukraine.

Even_Jellyfish_214 on August 3rd, 2024 at 08:22 UTC »

Submission Statement:

The government informed Parliament on Thursday that eight Indian nationals have so far been killed while serving with the Russian Army, double the number formally acknowledged by the external affairs ministry.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) in a written reply to a question that the exact number of Indian nationals recruited into Russia’s armed forces is not known, though 63 Indians have sought early discharge.

“Information available currently indicates that 12 Indian nationals have already left the Russian armed forces while another 63 individuals are seeking early discharge,” Singh said.

Singh said that Modi, during his recent visit to Russia, “strongly reiterated the urgent need for early release of all Indian nationals” from Russia’s armed forces. The external affairs ministry has urged all Indians to “exercise due caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia” and to “stay away from this conflict”.

In June, India had also demanded a “verified stop” to the recruitment of Indian nationals in the Russian Army.