India is actively engaging with the governments of Ukraine and Russia to secure the release and safe return of Indian nationals who were duped into conflict roles under the pretence of foreign employment, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

Source: ANI, via Latestly

259Indians believed recruited into the Russian army (MEA figures shared on Oct 9)
139Discharged and returned home through Indian efforts
69Believed still serving, return under discussion with Moscow

Addressing the bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said talks are ongoing with the Ukrainian government concerning an Indian national who is in custody there. "We are making efforts to bring him back to India. Consular visits have also been conducted to check on his well-being," Jaiswal said. On Russia, he said New Delhi remains in continuous contact with Moscow to expedite the discharge and repatriation of Indians serving in the Russian armed forces, and that efforts are underway to bring them back as well.

Source: IANS, via hi INDiA

The numbers shared earlier this month

Jaiswal referred to figures he had shared on October 9: according to the MEA, around 259 Indian citizens were recruited into the Russian army, of whom 139 have been discharged through Indian government efforts and returned home, while discussions with Moscow are underway regarding 69 others believed to still be with the Russian military. The MEA has issued several advisories over the past two years, and law-enforcement action has been taken against travel agents and other individuals involved in the wrongdoing, he said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, addressing the diaspora in Berlin, said India has always prioritised the safety and well-being of its citizens stranded in crisis-hit regions, recalling the evacuation of about 22,000 Indians from Ukraine after the war began, ANI reported.

Yaani in simple words: some Indians who went abroad for jobs were tricked into army roles — the government says it has already brought 139 of them home from the Russian army and is still negotiating for the rest, plus for one Indian held in custody in Ukraine.