New Delhi: The government is awaiting the release of 69 Indians who were recruited in the Russian army, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who stated on Friday that there are numerous signs that the Indian nationals were misled.
The minister stated in the Lok Sabha that the government has given serious consideration to the issues of Indian nationals being recruited by the Russian army and being trafficked to Southeast Asian countries through cybercrime.
Indian citizens have so far been recruited by the Russian army in 91 instances. During Question Hour, Mr. Jaishankar stated that 69 nationals are still being held captive and that eight of them have passed away, 14 have been released or sent back.
He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also brought up the matter during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. “We take this issue very seriously… I have myself raised it many times with the Russian foreign minister,” Mr. Jaishankar said.
The minister stated that the issue originates from the Russian government’s insistence that these Indian citizens sign contracts to provide services to the Russian army. “We’re not committing ourselves to that. “I believe there are numerous reasons that indicate that our nationals were misled, that they were informed they were leaving for another job before joining the Russian army,” he stated.
According to Mr. Jaishankar, Putin promised the prime minister that any Indian citizen serving in the Russian army would be freed and retired.
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