India's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that some of the country's nationals had applied for “support jobs” in the Russian military and said it was working with Moscow to secure their leave.
The Hindu daily reported on Wednesday that around 20 Indians were stranded in various border towns along the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine.
At least three of them were “forced” to fight alongside the Russians, according to the newspaper.
The State Department did not confirm that Indians played a combat role in the conflict, but said in a statement it was “aware that some Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian military.”
“The Indian Embassy has regularly raised this issue with relevant Russian authorities to exonerate them,” the statement said. “We urge all Indian nationals to exercise caution and stay safe. 'Stay away from this conflict'.”
One of the recruited Indians told the newspaper that his “repeated requests” to be repatriated to the Indian embassy in Moscow had gone “unheeded”.
According to The Hindu, Dubai-based recruiters have been cheating Indians by promising them high salaries and a Russian passport.
Upon arrival in Moscow, these recruits were allegedly trained in the use of “weapons and ammunition of the Russian army” and sent to the front in January.
The newspaper said some Indian nationals had volunteered for the Ukrainian forces in the current conflict, becoming the first suspected cases of involvement on the other side.
Two years after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian armed forces face an “extremely difficult” situation without ammunition and American help, President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted.