Who Is Matthew VanDyke, American Arrested In India Over Drone Warfare Training

An American citizen has landed at the centre of a major investigation by Indian security agencies, with the National Investigation Agency arresting him alongside six Ukrainian nationals in a case involving alleged drone warfare training, illegal border crossings, and links to armed groups operating near India's northeast.

Who Is Matthew VanDyke?

Matthew Aaron VanDyke describes himself as a security analyst, war correspondent, and documentary filmmaker. His name first gained international attention during the Libyan Civil War in 2011, when he joined rebel fighters on the ground and was imprisoned.

After Libya, VanDyke founded an organisation called Sons of Liberty International, known as SOLI, which provides military training and strategic advice to local armed groups in conflict zones around the world. 

How Did He End Up in an Indian Court?

VanDyke was arrested in Kolkata. Three Ukrainian nationals were picked up from Lucknow, and another three from Delhi. All seven were subsequently produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi, where the NIA sought 15 days of custody to investigate the route taken, gather evidence of the alleged conspiracy, and locate other associates. The court granted 11 days of NIA custody, with all accused due to be produced again on 27 March.

According to sources within the NIA, 14 Ukrainian nationals entered India on tourist visas on different dates. They flew to Guwahati and then travelled to Mizoram without the required documents, before illegally crossing into Myanmar. Their purpose was to conduct pre-scheduled drone warfare training for ethnic armed groups, known as EAGs, in Myanmar.

Large consignments of drones were also allegedly imported from Europe into Myanmar via India, intended for use by those same groups.

According to NIA sources, several of the armed groups active in Myanmar have existing ties with organisations that are banned in India. These groups are suspected of supplying weapons, hardware, and training to Indian insurgent groups, which has a direct bearing on national security.

The question now being examined is whether this network has any local connections inside India, and how the drones were routed through Indian territory.

Mobile phones seized during the arrests are currently being analysed, and the accused are to be taken to various locations as part of the ongoing investigation.

In March 2025, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had warned that foreigners, including mercenaries and former special forces personnel from the United States and the United Kingdom, were entering Myanmar through Mizoram to train local resistance groups fighting the country's military junta.