About 50 Indians want to end employment in Russian armed forces: MEA

In his visit to Moscow last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

India and Russia are working to ensure early discharge of Indians recruited into the Russian armed forces, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

In his visit to Moscow last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We are aware of about 50 Indian nationals who currently wish to end their employment in the Russian armed forces," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"These are cases where the individual or his/her family members have approached us for assistance in securing their early discharge," the spokesperson said during his weekly media briefing.

Jaiswal said the matter has been pursued with Russia at various levels including at the leadership level.

"The prime minister raised this matter during his recent visit to Russia. The Russian side has responded positively to our request. Both sides are working for early discharge of Indian nationals," he said.

Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the issue of Indian nationals serving with the Russian Army remains a matter of "utmost concern" and demanded action from Moscow over it.

On June 11, India said two Indian nationals, who were recruited by the Russian Army, had recently been killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which took the number of such deaths to four.

Following the deaths of two Indians, the MEA demanded a "verified stop" to further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army.

In a strongly-worded statement, it said India demanded that there be a "verified stop to any further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army and that such activities would not be in "consonance with our partnership." In March, 30-year-old Hyderabad resident Mohammed Asfan succumbed to injuries sustained while serving with Russian troops on the frontlines with Ukraine.

In February, Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangua, a 23-year-old resident of Surat in Gujarat, died in a Ukrainian air strike while serving as a "security helper" in the Donetsk region.

Modi was on a two-day high-profile visit to Russia on July 8 and 9.