The Supreme Court has asked the Central Government and the Ministry of External Affairs along with the Indian Ambassador to Russia and other respondents to respond to a plea filed by the families of 26 Indian citizens who were allegedly sent to Russia to fight the ongoing Russia-Ukraine armed conflict on the false pretext of job/educational opportunities.
According to news agency ANI, the plea primarily seeks to direct the Indian authorities to take urgent diplomatic and consular steps to ascertain the whereabouts, legal status and safety of the detainees and ensure their repatriation.
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“Despite such repeated statements and requests for help, the families remain without any verified information about the fate of their relatives, many of whom are detained, injured, violently involved in armed conflict or otherwise unable to return to India of their own free will,” the plea said, according to ANI.
Over 200 Indians recruited into the Russian Armed Forces
In December 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs told the Rajya Sabha that 202 Indian nationals were believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces.
“The concerted efforts of the government resulted in the early release of 119 of them; 26 are reported to have lost their lives and 7 are reported missing by the Russian side,” the minister said in a Rajya Sabha reply dated 18 December 2025.
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The ministry informed that efforts to release 50 people early are continuing.
“The ministry has provided assistance in the repatriation of remains of 10 deceased Indian nationals to India and local cremation of two deceased Indian citizens,” the ministry said in Parliament.
“DNA samples of family members of 18 Indians who were reported dead or missing have been shared with Russian authorities in an effort to help establish the identity of some of the deceased Indian nationals.”
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The statement further said that the government continues to work round-the-clock with the Russian side to ensure the safety, welfare and early release of all Indian nationals from the Russian armed forces.
“This matter is being discussed at various levels, including meetings between leaders, ministers and officials of both parties,” the statement said.
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Russo-Ukrainian War
The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced special military action against Ukraine. Millions have been displaced and died since the war began.
The Indian government has confirmed that many Indians have been enlisted to fight for Russian forces in the country’s war with Ukraine. Several have since returned home, while the process of bringing others back is underway, the BBC reported in 2024.
“I’m panicking. I’m not sure if I’ll come back safely or in a box. Please save me” – read the message Urgen Tamang, a former Indian soldier, sent to the BBC from the southern Ukrainian city days before he was released from the front line in Russia’s war against Ukraine, which entered its third year this February.
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Tamang was among the Indians who were forced to fight in the war. According to the report, most of them were from poor families and were lured by agents with promises of money and work, sometimes as “helpers” in the Russian army.
Instead, they were sent to a war zone. Many of them reportedly said they were deployed in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, where they had to navigate landmines, drones, missiles and sniper attacks with little or no military training.
