At least a dozen Indians were tricked into the war against Ukraine on the side of Russian troops. The families of the men are demanding that the Indian government bring them back home.
Russia forces Indians to fight against Ukraine
According to the BBC, the duped men, aged between 22 and 31, were hired as "helpers in a military establishment in Russia" and then sent to the battlefield under the pretext of "training".
A source in the Russian Defence Ministry told The Hindu that the actual number of Indian recruits last year was around 100.
India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that "some Indian nationals have enlisted for support roles with the Russian army."
Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. Several Indians have already been discharged as a result," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also urged "all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict."
What does Russia promise to Indians?
The BBC writes that at least one of the duped Indians, Hemal Ashwinbhai from the state of Gujarat, died in a missile attack last week.
On February 23, Hemal's father told the BBC that he had spoken to his son three days earlier. He said that he was sent 20-22 km inside the Ukrainian border.
Victims and families say Russian agents demanded 300,000 rupiah ($3,619) with the promise of a Russian passport after a few months of military service.
The agents are said to be recruiting people from India, UAE, Nepal and Sri Lanka, with fees as high as 1.2 million rupees.
The BBC spoke to some of their relatives, who say promises of higher wages lured the men in and did not know what they were getting into.
