We have not sought to recruit individuals from India into our armed forces !

Asserts Russian ambassador to India !

New Delhi – While in Moscow, Prime Minister Modi brought up the issue of Indians being recruited into the Russian army, and President Putin agreed to send them back to India. In this context, Roman Babushkin, the Russian Ambassador in India, explained, ‘We have not campaigned or sought Indian recruits for our army, nor do we seek to.’ He further assured that any Indians serving in the Russian military would be sent back to India soon. Ambassador Roman Babushkin also mentioned that there are currently over 100 individuals affiliated with the Indian Army, which is relatively small compared to the size of the Russian military.

He speculated that Indians might have joined due to commercial contracts aimed at earning money, rather than being actively recruited by Russia.

We never wanted Indians to be part of our army – Roman Babushkin, Russia’s Charge d’affaire

PM Modi had raised the issue of Indians in #RussianArmy during his meeting with President Vladimir Putinpic.twitter.com/IR41Yr8I59

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) July 12, 2024

When asked if Indians who lost their lives in the Ukraine war would be recognized as Russian citizens, the ambassador mentioned that it might be, if such terms are included in specific contracts.