Modi-Putin meeting: Russia to facilitate return of Indians working in Russian Army, says report

Modi-Putin meeting: Russia has decided to discharge and facilitate the return of all Indians working in the Russian Army, sources told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue during his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

On Monday, PM Modi met President Putin in Moscow. The two leaders displayed a warm rapport, with Putin hosting a private dinner for Modi at his dacha (country house). During the dinner, they discussed the ongoing situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Indians in Russian Army

Many Indians, enticed to Russia with lucrative education or job opportunities, found themselves conscripted into the Russian Army to fight against Ukraine when the conflict erupted in February 2022.

Some media reports stated that the Russian military employed these Indians as security aides in the Russian military and compelled them to fight alongside Russian soldiers.

In June, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that at least four Indian nationals, including a 30-year-old resident of Hyderabad serving in the Russian Army, had been killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Additionally, in April, the MEA stated that among the Indian nationals working as support staff in the Russian Army, ten had returned to India.

Modi-Putin meeting in Moscow

Putin embraced Modi at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, greeted him as his “dear friend,” and said he was “very happy” to see him, according to an account by Russia's TASS state news agency.

“Our official talks are tomorrow, while today, in this comfortable, cosy setting, we can probably discuss the same issues, but unofficially,” TASS quoted Putin as saying.

The Russian president offered Modi, who is on his first visit to Russia in five years, tea, berries, and sweets and took him on a motorised cart tour of the grounds.

(With inputs from agencies)