“We have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian government for the early discharge of such Indian nationals. Strong action has been initiated against agents who recruited them on false pretexts,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly press briefing.
“Several Indian nationals have been duped to work in the Russian army. We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian army and then eventually return home,” he added.
The ministry also issued an appeal to Indian nationals to not be swayed by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian army. “This is fraught with danger and risk to life,” the MEA added.
Human trafficking network
The MEA spokesperson added that a case of human trafficking has also been registered against individuals who were operating a trafficking network across several Indian cities.
The statement comes a day after the CBI busted a major human trafficking network, targeting young people with promises of lucrative jobs abroad, including in Russia and Ukraine, and then allegedly sending them off to fight on the front lines of the war between those countries.
The agency conducted searches at 13 locations in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Ambala, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai. It identified at least 35 instances of victims sent abroad by the alleged traffickers.
At least two Indian nationals are known to have been killed while serving with the Russian army.
(With inputs from agencies)
