India says 26 nationals recruited by Russian army killed, seven missing

The Indian government has informed Parliament that 26 Indian nationals serving in the Russian armed forces have died, while seven others have been reported missing by the Russian side, per Indian media.

In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of India's bicameral Parliament) on December 18, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, said that efforts are currently underway to secure the early discharge of 50 Indian nationals still serving in the Russian military.

Providing additional details, Singh said the Ministry of External Affairs has already assisted in the repatriation of the mortal remains of 10 deceased Indian nationals, while two others were cremated locally.

He added that DNA samples from family members of 18 Indians who were reported either dead or missing have been shared with Russian authorities. This step, he said, is intended “to help establish the identity of some of the deceased Indian nationals.”

The ministry was responding to questions regarding the number of Indian citizens identified as having been illegally recruited or forced to work in the Russian army, as well as the number of deaths and missing persons since 2022. Lawmakers also sought clarification on how many Indians remain stuck in the Russian armed forces, the communications exchanged with Moscow to seek their repatriation, and whether the remains of any Indian nationals killed in the Russia–Ukraine war are yet to be returned to India.

Summarising the situation, Singh told Parliament: “As per information available, 202 Indian nationals are believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces. Concerted efforts by the government have resulted in the early discharge of 119 of them; 26 are reported to have lost their lives, and seven are reported missing by the Russian side. Efforts are ongoing for the early discharge of 50 individuals.”

By Tamilla Hasanova