Delhi is awaiting the release of 69 Indians who were recruited into the Russian Army, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday, PTI reported.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said that there are indications that several of these individuals had been misled.

The external affairs minister said that the government was serious about the problems of citizens being recruited into the Russian military and the cybercrime trafficking of Indians to South East Asia.

“We take this issue very very seriously,” Jaishankar said. “I have myself raised it many times with the Russian foreign minister.”

Jaishankar informed the House that there were 91 cases of Indians being recruited into the Russian Army. Of these, eight persons died, 14 have been discharged or returned, and the release of 69 individuals is pending, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in July, the minister reiterated.

The problem is that the Russian authorities claim that the Indian citizens had signed service contracts with the Russian Army, the external affairs minister said.

“We are not necessarily subscribing to that...” he said. “I think in many cases there are reasons to indicate that our nationals were misled, that they were told that they were going for some other job and then they were deployed with the Russian Army.”

Jaishankar stated that Modi had been assured by Putin that Indians still serving in the Russian Army will be discharged and released.

Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. After the war broke out, at least 500 Indians, including some veterans, had reportedly submitted applications to volunteer to join the International Legion created to fight Russian forces in Ukraine.

In February, reports claimed that several Indians hired as “army security helpers” in Russia were instead forced to fight alongside the Russian military.

In July, Roman Babushkin, Russia’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi, said that his country never wanted Indians to be part of its army fighting the war in Ukraine.

The remark came a day after Moscow promised early release for the 35 to 50 Indians who were believed to be serving alongside the Russian military at the time.