Six Indian Nationals Discharged from Russian Army Return Home Amid Diplomatic Efforts

Six Indian Nationals Discharged from Russian Army Return Home Amid Diplomatic Efforts

New Delhi: Six Indian nationals serving in the Russian Army, including five from Punjab and one from Haryana, have been discharged and arrived in India on Tuesday night. Their return follows strong diplomatic efforts by India, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to secure the release of Indian citizens from the Russian armed forces.

The discharged individuals—Sajanpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Karan Bhandari, Avinash Masih, Sehyad Singh from Punjab, and Rajat Gupta from Haryana—are the first batch of Indian nationals to be sent home after India intensified its efforts on the matter.

The discharge process was accelerated following PM Modi’s visit to Russia in July, where he emphasized the urgent need for the early release of Indian nationals from the Russian military. During the visit, the Prime Minister pushed for the swift return of all Indian citizens serving in the Russian armed forces.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 89 Indian nationals are currently serving in the Russian Army. While 13 have already been discharged, 66 others are still seeking release. In addition to the six who arrived on Tuesday night, 10 more Indian nationals, discharged from conflict zones, are expected to return in the coming days.

Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney, who has been vocal about the issue in Parliament, confirmed that he has been in contact with the youths and their families. Sahney stated that this marks the first batch of Indian nationals returning after being officially discharged by the Russian Army, with efforts continuing to secure the release of others.

The development comes as a relief to the families of the discharged individuals, as well as the remaining nationals seeking to return to India.