Two more Indian nationals who were recruited by the Russian Army have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on Tuesday, June 11, confirmed the deaths of the two individuals but has not revealed the identities of the deceased. The total number of Indian nationals who died in the Russian war zone has increased to four.

MEA, in its statement, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and said that steps are being taken for early repatriation of their mortal remains. “The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow respectively, for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army. India has also demanded that there be a verified stop to any further recruitment of our nationals by the Russian Army. Such activities would not be in consonance with our partnership. We also urge Indian nationals to exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia,” the Ministry further said.

Earlier in February 2024, a 23 year old person from Surat of Gujarat Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangua died when serving as a ‘security helper’; and in March 2024, 30 year old Mohammed Asfan from Hyderabad died while he was serving the Russian troops.

In March, a group of seven persons from Punjab and Haryana, stranded on the Russia-Ukraine border released two videos appealing for the Indian government's intervention to facilitate their return home. In the videos, they said that they were traveling on tourist visas and were detained by Russian authorities for lacking a specific document and then allegedly threatened by the police to join the Russian Army under the guise of working as "helpers."