India Says 55 of Its Nationals Are Still in the Russian Army, Takes Aim at Recruitment Agents

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired a consultative committee meeting on India-Russia relations on October 3, 2026, where officials said around 140 Indian nationals recruited into the Russian army have been discharged, while the whereabouts of 55 others reportedly still serving remains unknown, according to a readout from the meeting carried by ANI.

The government said it has engaged Russian authorities "including at the highest levels" for the early discharge of all such individuals, and that Indian law enforcement is taking "strong action" against the unscrupulous agents behind the recruitment. Committee members were also briefed on what the readout called "the grave dangers for Indian citizens in joining the Russian Army."

The figures are broadly in line with what Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri gave a month earlier, when he put the total number of Indian nationals recruited into the Russian army at 227, said 139 had been discharged and 51 had died, and said the issue had been raised with Russia "at various levels on various occasions." We've previously reported on the Kremlin's own pledge to compile a list of Indian recruits and send them home - a promise repeated since 2024.

A Safe Way Out

Indians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have a safe option to escape the battlefield through Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. Also see our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces.