1 week ago
Indian Families Seek Answers About Men Recruited Into Russia’s War
Some Indian men went to Russia after being promised jobs or better pay.
Families say some agents later pushed or tricked them into joining the Russian military.
The men were reportedly told they would do safe work such as cooking, carrying supplies or building shelters.
Some were instead sent to fight near the Russia-Ukraine front.
Many families have not heard from their relatives for months.
Some men have been killed, while others are missing or imprisoned.
India’s Supreme Court has told the government to keep searching for them.
The court also asked for a contact officer and DNA tests to help identify bodies.
Families are also seeking action against the agents who recruited the men.
Twenty-six Indian families asked the Supreme Court to help trace and repatriate relatives in Russia.
The families say agents promised jobs, high salaries, non-combat roles or residency before men entered Russian military service.
The Centre reported that 217 Indians had joined the Russian military, with 139 discharged after diplomatic efforts.
Fourteen men linked to the families’ petition were reported killed, while 11 remain unaccounted for and one is imprisoned in Russia.
The Supreme Court ordered continued tracing efforts, a Delhi-based nodal officer and DNA testing to identify bodies.
- Who
- Indian men recruited or induced to serve with the Russian Armed Forces, their families, Indian authorities and recruitment agents.
- What
- Families are seeking information, repatriation and accountability for relatives who were allegedly deceived or coerced into Russian military service.
- Where
- The recruitment took place through networks in India and Russia, and some men were sent to the Russia-Ukraine border, including near Kupyansk.
- When
- The war began in 2022; the families petitioned the Supreme Court in March, and the court issued directions on July 31. Individual cases described in the report involve events in 2024 and 2025.
- Why
- Families say agents used promises of jobs, salaries, bonuses, citizenship or permanent residency to draw men into Russia and, in some cases, into military service.
Families and advocates
Government accounts and analysts
How men entered military service
Families and advocates
Families and their lawyer say travel and recruitment agents promised non-combat jobs, confiscated passports or pressured men to sign military contracts before sending them toward the frontline.
Government accounts and analysts
The Centre’s court filing said some Indians were attracted by salary packages, bonuses and the prospect of Russian citizenship, while some voluntarily signed contracts.
Responsibility for recruitment
Families and advocates
Families and lawyers blame networks of agents in India and Russia for deceiving or trafficking vulnerable workers and want the agents investigated and prosecuted.
Government accounts and analysts
Analyst Aleksei Zakharov said the recruitment of Indians into combat was relatively small compared with the broader Indian workforce in Russia and largely resulted from fraudulent schemes by visa consultancies and agents.
Government response
Families and advocates
Families say assurances have not resolved the uncertainty and that investigations against alleged agents have been slow, leaving relatives missing or dead.
Government accounts and analysts
The Indian government has pursued diplomatic engagement, reported that 139 Indians were discharged, and was directed by the Supreme Court to continue tracing efforts and support identification and repatriation.
Key facts
- Families seeking court help
- Twenty-six Indian families moved the Supreme Court in March.
- Indians who joined Russian military
- Official figures cited in the report say at least 217 Indian nationals joined, of whom 139 were discharged.
- Reported status of petitioners’ relatives
- Fourteen were reported killed, 11 remained unaccounted for and one was serving a prison sentence in Russia.
- Supreme Court directions
- The Centre was told to continue tracing efforts, appoint a Delhi-based nodal officer and arrange DNA testing for families.
- Promised military pay
- Recruiters reportedly offered a monthly salary of $2,500, a $5,000 signing bonus and compensation of $168,000 in case of death.
- Recruitment complaints in India
- Between 2023 and 2025, authorities received 3,925 complaints about unauthorised or illegal recruiting agents; 955 became FIRs and 39 qualified for seeking prosecution sanctions.
- Potential labour demand in Russia
- Russia’s labour ministry said the country would need nearly 11 million new workers by 2030.
Quotes
Manoj Singh Shekhawat
Indian cab driver from Jaipur who was recruited into the Russian Armed Forces
“They were told to sign such and such agreements. After that, they were told to go to war or get killed.”
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“We just want my brother to be brought back to us safely. Everything else comes later.”
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Sources
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