At least 51 Indian citizens recruited into the Russian Army have been killed during the war in Ukraine, according to Indian officials.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri shared the figures during a media briefing in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Misri said that 227 Indian citizens had been recruited into the Russian military. Of those, 51 have died in the conflict, while 139 have since been discharged from the Russian Army.
According to the foreign secretary, around two dozen Indian citizens remain in the Russian military.
The recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian Army has become a growing concern in India, with Indian media reports linking the enlistment of some young men to the country’s unemployment situation.
Indian media has also reported that the Supreme Court of India has directed the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to bring back Indian citizens recruited into the Russian armed forces.
The Indian government has been seeking the release and repatriation of nationals who were recruited into the Russian military amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.