Eight Indians killed while serving with Russian military, govt tells Parliament

The recruitment of Indians into the Russian military became a hot button issue following the deaths of several nationals earlier this year. The government informed Parliament on Thursday that eight Indian nationals have so far been killed while serving with the Russian Army, double the number formally acknowledged by the external affairs ministry. Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question that the exact number of Indian nationals recruited into Russia’s armed forces is not known, though 63 Indians have sought early discharge.