India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced the repatriation of Indian nationals fighting in Ukraine after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia. Attracted by high salaries, the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship, and traveling to countries in Europe’s Schengen area, hundreds of South Asian men have embarked on the journey to Russia. In many cases, they did so without knowing that they would be sent to the front.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to discharge all Indian nationals engaged at the front in the war between Russia and Ukraine, India's External Affairs Ministry said.

“We expect the release to take place within weeks from various places where they are serving or deployed,” sources told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity.

The news was not formally confirmed by the Russian side, which is short on troops.

At least 50 Indians are in the Russian army and at least four have been killed since the start of the war. But, according to The Hindu, several other Indians have not registered with the Indian embassy in Moscow.

The issue also concerns Sri Lankans and Nepalis. Attracted by high salaries (more than US$ 2,000 per month), the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship, and traveling to countries in Europe’s Schengen area, hundreds of South Asians have gone to Russia, in most cases without knowing that they would be deployed to the front after a couple of weeks' training.

According to reports, recruitment takes place through intermediaries who promise good salaries for security-related jobs. Entry is via tourist visa.

In 2022, the number of Indians who entered Russia rose to 8,275, compared to 7,132 the previous year, and a e-visa scheme was  introduced in 2023 to speed up the process.

After seeing an ad on YouTube, Mohammed Asfan, one of the Indians killed in the war, contacted a recruiter, Faisal Khan, who called himself "Baba Vlogs" online.

He was told that he would not be sent to Ukraine, his brother said, but then, in November last year, shortly after his arrival, Asfan was forced to sign papers in Russian that he did not understand.

His death in the war was confirmed in early March. Since then, Indian and Nepali authorities announced the arrest of several people involved in a human trafficking network, while Sri Lanka has sent a delegation to Russia to investigate and pressure Moscow to repatriate its nationals present in Ukraine.

According to the Sri Lankan parliament, at least 2,000 Sri Lankans are engaged in both fronts.

Experts note that Sri Lanka's economic crisis, which began in 2022, is the main factor driving people to conflict areas. A salary of US$ 2,100, in fact, is 13 times higher than the average salary in Sri Lanka.

Many of those who enlist are often former soldiers. Until 2009, the country was torn by a civil war that saw the regular military fight the Tamil Tigers separatist group.

But even after the war ended, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces remained large to keep unemployment down.

Often, retired Sri Lankan generals act as intermediaries with Russia, Sri Lankan police reported.

A similar situation also applies to Nepal, where the end of the civil war in 2006 saw few job opportunities created.

The Himalayan country is home to the Gurkhas, soldiers who, under a 1947 agreement, also serve the Indian and British armies. India, for example, has 40,000 Gurkha soldiers, 60 per cent of whom from Nepal. Over the years, however, their number has been dwindling,

While Nepal has tried to stop Gurkhas from serving in other foreign armies, at least 15,000 Nepalis are involved in Ukraine. Among those who went and made it back, many thought they would work as cooks or helpers.

According to information circulated online over the past few months, Nepalis stranded in Russia have asked India for help with repatriation, arguing that New Delhi has much more influence with Moscow than Kathmandu.

Modi's recent visit to Moscow confirmed the good relations between India and Russia, but according to analysts, Putin, in order to overcome international isolation, could look for new markets in South Asia and thus facilitate the repatriation of South Asians stranded at the front.

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• india
• nepal
• russia
• ukraine
• sri lanka
• war
• foreign combattants
• repatriation
• gurkhas
• putin
• modi