12 Indians Killed and 16 Missing While Fighting in Russian Army, MEA Confirms

Ravi Singh

New Delhi, January 17 – Just a day after reports regarding the disappearance of 16 Indians who had entered the Russian Army, the external affairs ministry made an official admission that the government has confirmed missing 16 people. This happened during a meeting of the ministerial spokesperson’s press briefing which took place Friday.

This is after India reported that 126 Indian nationals were enlisted in the Russian Army. Of the number, 96 have already been discharged while two are actively serving. The MEA condemned the involvement of Indian nationals in the Russia-Ukraine war and urged the immediate discharge of the rest.

The safety of the Indian nationals is now becoming an issue of concern after a recent killing: Binil Babu, aged 32 years old from Kuttanellur, Kerala was killed in action earlier this week. Another Indian, Jain TK, 27 years old, is also from Kuttanellur, but he was injured by the same attack. Tragically, more than ten Indian nationals have lost their lives in the conflict so far.

The MEA spokesperson emphasized that India had been very active in engaging with Russian authorities to ensure the safety and speed of return of Indian nationals. “India has strongly taken up the case with Russia and reiterated its demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals. The safety of our citizens remains our top priority,” Jaiswal stated.

Enlistment of Indian nationals in foreign armed forces, especially in conflict areas, has raised many questions with regard to their reasons and the wider implications for international relations.

India is keeping the situation under close watch and has assured the families of missing and affected persons that the government would do everything possible to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.