Russia said that Indian citizens who are fighting in its army will be released

Russia has agreed to release Indian citizens fighting in its army following Prime Minister Modi's visit to Moscow. The issue of Indians being misled into combat roles was raised with President Putin, with both countries now working on their repatriation.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs revealed that Russia has agreed to an early release of all Indian citizens currently imprisoned in Russia and serving in the Russian Armed Forces. This announcement has emerged in the wake of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow where he has discussed the matter with the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The situation of these persons has been a gradually developing issue of concern for Delhi. Some say they signed up with agents who told them they’d be serving in office jobs in the Russian military, only to end up in combat in Ukraine. Unfortunately, at least four Indians have become victims of the conflict.

During the press briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that it was mentioned that Prime Minister Modi has “strongly raised the issue of early discharge” during his conversation with Putin. Kwatra also said, “The Russian side also assured the early release of all Indian individuals in the service of the Russian military. ”

Official reports suggest that at present about 35 to 50 Indian nationals are in the Russian forces. Among them, 10 have been repatriated earlier. The two countries will now work together in order to help the rest of the people come back home.

Most of the affected Indians are from the low-income group, and they were lured by job offers and an opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship. Some were convinced that they would have the job of ‘helpers’ in the Russian military, away from actual fighting.

The Indian government has been quite actively trying to deal with this problem, referring to it as a ‘matter of deep concern. ‘ In the earlier part of this year, the Indian authorities dealt a blow to a ring that was involved in human trafficking to Russia under the guise of employment opportunities.

The Prime Minister Modi himself visited Russia for two days and he had extensive discussions with Mr. Putin, the President of Russia. Their meeting produced a communique that spelled out nine focal areas for deepened cooperation among them nuclear energy and medical science. The leaders also agreed on a new goal to ramp up bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from the current level.

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This development is a significant milestone in India’s process of safeguarding its citizens in foreign countries and at the same time highlights the emerging global power dynamics with regards to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.