Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, in a significant development on Thursday, convened with the families of Kerala residents trapped by a recruitment scam lured into the conflict in Ukraine. Assuring swift action, he emphasized the government’s concerted efforts to repatriate stranded Indians from the volatile Russia-Ukraine conflict zone.
“We are exerting immense pressure on the concerned authorities to ensure the safe return of all Indians trapped there. Presently, the Indian citizens in Russia remain secure,” the minister affirmed.
Within the context, Muraleedharan, serving in the Narendra Modi government, disclosed that over 20 Indians are amidst the turmoil of Russia-Ukraine.
Recent months have witnessed a distressing trend, with several Indians coerced into joining the Russian army under false pretences, primarily via deceptive advertisements on YouTube channels.
This month, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dismantled a significant human trafficking network that preyed upon Indians with deceptive job offers following the tragic deaths of two compatriots on the war front. Legal actions have been initiated against multiple visa consultancy firms and agents implicated in enticing young Indians to Russia with fraudulent job prospects. Regrettably, at least two Indian nationals have lost their lives while serving in the Russian army.
The Indian Embassy in Moscow officially confirmed the demise of Indian national Mohammed Asfan on March 6. Asfan, aged 30 and hailing from Hyderabad, had journeyed to Russia late last year. He suffered severe injuries, alongside two other Indians, during hostilities in the conflict zone.
Prior to Asfan’s tragic fate, 23-year-old Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangukiya, a resident of Surat in Gujarat, fell victim to a Ukrainian airstrike while serving as a “security helper” with the Russian Army in Donetsk, a region of Ukraine under Russian control. Mangukiya had embarked on his journey to Russia in December the previous year.
In recent developments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate dialogues with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. Modi congratulated Putin on his reelection to a fifth term, followed by expressing India’s unwavering support for peace endeavours and the expeditious resolution of the ongoing conflict to Zelenskyy.
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