India on Tuesday iterated the demand for early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals recruited in the Russian Army for the war against Ukraine.
The demand was made in the wake of an Indian recruit in the Russian Army being killed in the ongoing conflict and comes six months after India claimed that the Russians had promised early discharge following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention during his July visit to Moscow for the India-Russia annual summit.
Responding to media queries on reports of the death of an Indian national from Kerala who had been recruited to serve in the Russian Army and injuries suffered by another recruit from the state, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our embassy in Moscow is in touch with the families and all possible assistance is being rendered. We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mortal remains to India. We have also sought the early discharge and repatriation to India of the injured person.
“The matter has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities in Moscow as well as with the Russian embassy in New Delhi today. We have also reiterated our demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals,” Jaiswal said.
On July 9, while briefing reporters on Modi’s engagements in Moscow, then foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had said: “Prime Minister strongly raised the issue of early discharge of Indian nationals who have been misled into the service of the Russian army.”