The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that 45 Indians who were illegally forced to join the Russian army and were made to fight for them against Ukrain, have been discharged from the Russian military. All of them have also been rescued from the warzone as well, it was told.
However, fifty more Indian nationals are yet to be rescued as they are still on battlefields in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine war. It has been told that efforts were underway to rescue them.
During his visit to Moscow in July, PM Modi raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin who had assured that Russia would discharge any and all Indians who had been misled and falsely inducted in the Russian Army.
Indians made to join Russian Army: How did it happen?
Investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed that a massive human trafficking network extending from New Delhi to Tamil Nadu extensively deployed social media platforms and local agents to lure people to fly to Russia by offering them lucrative jobs or admission. It has been reported that the victims' passports were taken once they arrived in Russia.
As per reports, around a hundred Indian nationals were trapped by the human trafficking network while and at least four Indians were killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Police in India so far have arrested four people involved in the job racket.
According to a viral video that made rounds on social media, a group of men from Punjab and Haryana donning army uniforms were seen claiming they were tricked into fighting the war in Ukraine.
How did India react?
Reacting to the illegal induction of Indians to the Russian Army, New Delhi earlier said that every case brought to its attention was being "strongly taken up" with Russia to ensure the "early discharge" of stranded people.
Strongly condemning the incident, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said that the "toughest legal action" would be taken against agents who duped students from Kerala into fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
"It is totally unacceptable that any Indian should be taken to a conflict zone and in any manner be made to work for a conflict, for an army...," Mr Jaishankar had said earlier this year.
