Russia pledges to discharge Indians fighting for Moscow in Ukraine

Russia has promised to discharge Indian nationals who were “misled” into joining its army to fight in Ukraine, India’s foreign secretary said Tuesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “strongly raised the issue of early discharge” to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his two-day trip to Moscow this week, stressing the need to bring all Indians home “as early as possible,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters in a news briefing.

According to NDTV, at least two Indians have been killed while fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine. Many more Indians remain in the war zone, claiming they were lured into the conflict with Russia "through deception."

During a dinner hosted by Putin in honor of Modi on Monday night, the Indian Prime Minister raised the issue with the Russian President. Subsequently, Russia agreed to release all Indians serving in their forces.

It's believed that around two dozen Indians were compelled to join the conflict against Ukraine, reportedly enticed by promises of high-paying jobs in Russia.