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Russian roulette for Indian jobseekers

ByHT Editorial
Jan 15, 2025 08:07 PM IST

It is perplexing that this issue has not been resolved by the Russian side despite being taken up at meetings of the top leaders on two separate occasions

Russia said it stopped recruiting Indian nationals into its armed forces in April 2024, and yet young Indian men are still being killed or injured on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, the latest casualties being two residents of Kerala. The deaths of at least 10 Indian men serving as support staff with the Russian military have been confirmed so far and dozens have been injured, while 85 Indians were discharged by the Russian side till late last year. It is perplexing that this issue has not been resolved by the Russian side despite being taken up at meetings of the top leaders of the two countries on two separate occasions last year.

It is unclear how many are currently serving in the Russian army or are with units engaged in the fighting with Ukraine. Some reports have suggested a handful of Indians have been reluctant to give up their jobs in the Russian military, perhaps because of the pressure to recoup the huge amounts they paid to recruitment agents. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) (AP) PREMIUM
It is unclear how many are currently serving in the Russian army or are with units engaged in the fighting with Ukraine. Some reports have suggested a handful of Indians have been reluctant to give up their jobs in the Russian military, perhaps because of the pressure to recoup the huge amounts they paid to recruitment agents. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) (AP)

It is in this context that India has reiterated its demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals in the Russian military. It is unclear how many are currently serving in the Russian army or are with units engaged in the fighting with Ukraine. Some reports have suggested a handful of Indians have been reluctant to give up their jobs in the Russian military, perhaps because of the pressure to recoup the huge amounts they paid to recruitment agents. The Russian authorities too have not annulled the service contracts of all Indian nationals. Both countries need to redouble their efforts to find a solution before more lives are lost.

This issue also points to the desperation among jobless youth in India. Many of those who ended up in the Russian military were duped by unscrupulous recruitment agents, though some were attracted by promises of large bonuses and Russian citizenship. The external affairs ministry, which has done commendable work to protect the rights of expatriate workers, needs to plug loopholes that allow young men to be taken to conflict zones, or Southeast Asian sweat shops that are into pig butchering scams.

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