The Ministry of External Affairs has said that two Indians, who were recruited by the Russian Army to fight against Ukraine, have been killed in combat. Two other Indians had died earlier after being duped into joining the Russian army to fight Ukraine.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our Embassy in Moscow has pressed the Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence, for early repatriation of mortal remains," the MEA said in an official release on Tuesday.
The identity of the men and other details have not been revealed in the statement, but a report suggested that one of the deceased was from Amritsar. Tejpal Singh was killed on the war front, his wife Parminder Kaur confirmed to The Times of India.
Kaur added that Tejpal joined the Russian Army three days into his trip to Russia in January. He planned to "undergo both theoretical and practical training." "He knew several people in Haryana and Punjab who had joined the Russian army, which influenced his decision," Kaur told The Times of India.
Though Tejpal was in touch with his family every day during the three-week theoretical training, he stopped contacting his family after practical training began. Kaur added that the last communication Tejpal had with his family was on March 3, when he informed her of his deployment to Tokmak, a city in south-central Ukraine. He told his wife that they would have to surrender their mobile phones.
After the communication stopped, Kaur contacted his friend who got in touch with Russian officials. They forwarded Tejpal's details to the officials, who informed them that he had died in combat.
According to the MEA, they have brought the issue to the attention of Russian officials. "The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow respectively, for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army. India has also demanded that there be a verified stop to any further recruitment of our nationals by the Russian Army. Such activities would not be in consonance with our partnership," the statement added.
The MEA also urged Indian nationals to exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia.
Two other men, including one from Telangana and another from Surat, had died in combat in Ukraine. This comes as reports emerged that dozens of Indians have reportedly been duped by agents into fighting for Russian forces with the lure of money and a Russian passport.
