69 Indians still with Russian army, says Jaishankar

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Indian nationals tricked in contracts to serve Russian army: Jaishankar

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, August 9: Union Minister for External Affairs Subhrahmanyam Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday that 69 Indian nationals are still with the Russian army. The minister told the Lok Sabha that eight Indian nationals have died in the Ukraine War, while 14 have returned.

“There are still 69 Indian nationals with the Russian army. The Russian foreign ministry has intimated the death of one man from Haryana and sought DNA sample,” said Jaishankar.

The minister stated that Russia has sought DNA samples for deaths of one each man from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. “We are taking the issue very seriously. We are being told that the Indian nationals entered into contracts. We are not subscribing to such views of the Russians,” added Jaishankar.

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The minister also said that “we should not jump to the conclusion” when the AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi asked if India should stop buying oil from Russia. Jaishankar said that the Indian nationals trapped with the Russian army are victims of human trafficking.

“This is an issue of national concern. We have taken up the issue at the political level, and ensured expatriation of the Indian nationals from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia who were tricked into the human trafficking,” added Jaishankar.

The minister said that the maximum victims of the human trafficking hail from Andhra Pradesh followed by Telangana. Jaishankar said that the government is taking the issue very seriously.

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“Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send back the Indian nationals with the Russia’s army at the earliest,” added Jaishankar.

The minister said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the issue of the human trafficking. He said that the CBI has examined the papers of the four men who returned from Russia after serving in the Russian army.

“The CBI has arrested nine persons and entities in the matters of the human trafficking. The guilty will not be spared. They are also being barred from entering into the business of sending the people abroad,” added Jaishankar.

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