On Wednesday, Russia expressed hope for a swift resolution regarding India’s call for the return of its citizens recruited into the Russian Army as support staff, emphasizing that their recruitment was purely commercial.
In the first official comments on the matter from the Russian government, Russia’s Charge d’affaires Roman Babushkin clarified that Moscow never intended for Indians to be part of its Army and that their number is insignificant in the broader context of the conflict.
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“We are on the same side with the Indian government on the issue… We hope that the issue will be resolved soon,” Babushkin stated during a media briefing in response to a question.
Issue should not be politicised
Babushkin’s remarks followed a day after Russia assured the early release and return of Indian nationals working in the Russian military as support staff. This assurance came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi “very strongly” raised the issue with President Vladimir Putin.
Babushkin stressed that the issue should not be politicized. “Let us be very clear, we have never wanted Indians to be part of the Russian Army. You would never see any announcement by Russian authorities on this,” he emphasized.
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According to Babushkin, most of the Indians were recruited under a commercial framework, motivated by financial reasons. He noted that the number of Indians involved—50, 60, or 100 people—does not hold significant impact in the context of the ongoing conflict.
‘Purely for commercial reasons…’
“They are there purely for commercial reasons and we did not want to recruit them,” he said, adding that most of the Indians recruited as support staff are working illegally without the appropriate visas. Many came to Russia on tourist visas.
When asked if the families of those killed would receive compensation and Russian citizenship, Babushkin responded that this “should happen anyway as per the contractual obligations.”
On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, speaking in Moscow, said that the Russian side promised the early discharge of all Indian nationals from the service of the Russian Army.
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“The Prime Minister strongly raised the issue of early discharge of Indian nationals who have been misled into the service of the Russian Army. This was taken up strongly by the Prime Minister and the Russian side promised early discharge of all Indian nationals,” Kwatra said.
Modi-Putin talks
It is understood that PM Modi raised the issue during informal talks with Putin over dinner at the Russian leader’s country home on Monday evening. Kwatra indicated that both sides would work on expediting the return of the Indians.
Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the issue of Indian nationals serving with the Russian Army remains a matter of “utmost concern” and demanded action from Moscow.
On June 11, India reported that two Indian nationals recruited by the Russian Army had been killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, bringing the total number of such deaths to four.
‘A verified stop’
Following these deaths, the MEA demanded a “verified stop” to further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army, stating that such activities would not align with the partnership between the two nations.
Earlier this year, in March, Hyderabad resident Mohammed Asfan, 30, succumbed to injuries sustained while serving with Russian troops on the frontlines with Ukraine. In February, Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangua, a 23-year-old from Surat, Gujarat, died in a Ukrainian air strike while serving as a “security helper” in the Donetsk region.
PM Modi was on a two-day high-profile visit to Russia from Monday to hold the 22nd India-Russia annual summit with Putin.
