The Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered its third year.
The Centre today acknowledged that some Indians are entangled in Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, stating that the government is coordinating with its Russian counterpart to facilitate their release.
Yesterday, reports emerged that dozens of Indians were allegedly duped into military service in Russia. The unsuspecting Indians were promised support jobs but were ultimately enlisted in the Russian army, receiving misleading translations of documents and undergoing military training against their initial understanding.
"We are aware that a few Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian army. The Indian Embassy has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge. We urge all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict," said Randhir Jaiswal, external affairs spokesperson, in a statement today.
The family of one of the men, Sufiyan from Hyderabad, along with AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, yesterday sought the intervention of the Centre and the External Affairs ministry to secure the safe evacuation of the trapped Indian nationals and take stringent action against the fraudulent agents responsible.
Imran, Sufiyan's brother, revealed the deceptive tactics employed by agents associated with Faisal Khan, who runs a YouTube channel named 'Baba Vlogs'. The unsuspecting men were allegedly promised support jobs but were ultimately enlisted in the Russian army.
With nine Indian men reportedly within the Ukrainian borders, facing danger and injuries, the distressed families seek help from the Centre. Mr Owaisi formally wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking intervention to bring back the affected Indians.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered its third year.