The Indian government has asked the Russian government to return the Indian citizens recruited by its army on Tuesday, with foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra confirming the request on Wednesday. This follows the death of two Indian citizens in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, as announced by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. The Indian embassy in Russia has further asked for early return of the remains of the deceased.

The full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine, ongoing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine two years ago, has resulted in around 18 Indians being stranded in areas near the Russia-Ukraine border. Some Indians in Ukraine alleged that they were conned into joining the Russian army after being recruited as “army helpers” but later had their passports confiscated and were forced into fighting. However, an official at the Russian Ministry of Defence stated that about 100 Indians had been recruited with full consent and were informed about the risks. It was also further claimed that the workers were paid for their service.

Vinay Kwatra stated that the Indian government has been “in continuous and extensive discussions with … Russian leadership and other parts of their system from day one. Our extensive efforts to keep Indians safe include conveying to Russian officials clearly that Indians who are in the war zone, regardless of how they have reached there, [] should be brought back.” He also stated that efforts have been made to stop the illegal recruitment of Indian workers and that the government has been collaborating with Russian agencies.

Other South Asian countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal have also requested the return of their citizens, following reports of Sri Lankan and Nepali citizens fighting in the conflict as part of the Russian army.