Overview
- The Ministry of External Affairs issued a fresh travel advisory on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, strongly discouraging Indian nationals from joining or seeking recruitment in the Russian armed forces.
- The MEA said many Indians have been lured by short‑term monetary offers and some believed they could later secure release through Indian authorities, a practice the government called dangerous.
- Officials warned of cases in which people renounced Indian citizenship or obtained Russian passports before enlisting, exposing them to legal, diplomatic and mortal risks.
- The advisory flagged recruitment by non‑public entities and volunteer groups and urged due diligence when accepting overseas job offers and dealing only with agents registered with the MEA.
- New Delhi said it remains engaged with the Indian Embassy in Moscow and Russian authorities to secure discharges and repatriations; official tallies cited by the foreign secretary put total recruits in the low hundreds with many discharged and dozens killed, underscoring ongoing consular limits and family distress.