Officials Warn Against Fraudulent Job Offers Luring Indians to Russian Military

New Delhi, July 31 – In a fresh advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs cautioned Indian job‑seekers about deceptive recruitment schemes that have been funneling nationals into the Russian armed forces. The warning follows investigative reports that several Indians traveling to Moscow on student or visitor visas were approached by middlemen promising lucrative construction contracts. Upon arrival, the individuals were allegedly rerouted to military training camps and subsequently dispatched to the front lines in eastern Ukraine. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that such schemes often masquerade as legitimate employment agencies, but they operate under the radar of the Indian embassy and lack any official accreditation. “Anyone receiving an overseas job offer that seems unusually generous or is routed through an unknown intermediary should verify its authenticity with the Indian diplomatic mission,” he said. The advisory echoes a September 2025 directive that warned against joining the Russian military, a measure prompted by multiple media accounts of Indians being used as combatants in the ongoing conflict. The MEA urged families to report any suspicious recruitment activity and reiterated that the government will intervene swiftly to protect its citizens abroad.