24 Indians still with Russian army, says MEA

Around 24 Indian citizens who were hired through fraudulent and non-transparent means continue to serve with the Russian army as the war in Ukraine persists, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday (July 31, 2026).

Official Spokesperson of the MEA Randhir Jaiswal stated that the Ministry has been consistently following up on the issue of Indians in the Russian army. He said India continues to focus on creating reliable and secure channels for the mobility of various segments of its blue-collar workforce.

“We have been following up with the Russian side for the release of the remaining Indian nationals with the Russian army. Our efforts have led to the release of 139 Indian nationals so far,” Mr. Jaiswal said during a bi-weekly briefing.