The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Ministry of External Affairs to issue a public notice for families of 51 Indians who died in the Russia-Ukraine war. The court said the right to seek compensation must be enforced. “Ultimately, our diplomatic and consular efforts will help,” the ministry said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the right to seek compensation must be enforced and asked the Ministry of External Affairs to consider issuing a public notice inviting the families of Indians who died while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war to seek assistance and compensation.
The ministry told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that 51 Indians who fought in the war had died, while 77 recruits remained untraced. The court also reviewed efforts to identify and repatriate mortal remains, secure compensation and help the affected families complete legal and administrative formalities.
The court asked the ministry to file a fresh status report specifying the compensation paid by the Russian government to six families whose members died in the war zone.
The bench said the right to seek compensation was available to the families of all 51 people who had died. It asked the District Legal Services Authorities of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to comply with its earlier direction to provide free legal aid to the families.
The assistance is to cover the submission of claims, DNA tests and other legal and administrative formalities that the families are required to complete.
Bhati informed the court that about 267 Indians had joined the Russian armed forces. Of them, 51 had died and 139 had been discharged from military service. The Indian embassy in Russia was trying to trace 77 recruits, including seven whom Russian authorities had confirmed as missing.
The bench noted the ministry's submission that officials were contacting the affected families individually and expected the authorities to help them file compensation claims. It also considered the difficulties in obtaining compensation from Russia, delays in DNA-based identification and the repatriation of mortal remains.
Bhati said all possible efforts were being made to assist the families. “Ultimately, our diplomatic and consular efforts will help,” she said, adding that Russian authorities had been cooperating and the government would continue to seek a simpler process.
The court also examined the case of Sikandar Singh, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in Russia in a molestation case. It was urged to ask the ministry to explore whether he could be transferred to an Indian prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Bhati said Singh would first have to withdraw his appeal against the conviction from an appellate court in Russia.
The petitioners also sought action against agents allegedly involved in recruiting Indians for the Russian armed forces through false promises of employment. Bhati said a nodal officer had been appointed in accordance with an earlier court order.
On July 31, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to appoint a nodal officer in the ministry to coordinate with the families of Indians who had died, gone missing or suffered injuries while fighting in the war. It had also directed the ministry to facilitate DNA matching between family members and mortal remains.
The court was hearing a plea concerning Indian nationals who were allegedly duped by travel agents and recruited into the Russian military. The plea seeks the return of mortal remains, compensation and a coordinated system to assist the affected families.
The bench noted that more than 200 people, mostly from Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, had travelled to Russia in 2024-25 to work in sectors including hospitality. It was alleged that travel agents had duped them and that their passports and other documents were seized after they reached Russia. They were then enrolled in the Russian Army and sent to war zones.
“Unfortunately, many lost their lives and after due verification, mortal remains of many have been brought to India,” the bench said, adding that several families were yet to receive compensation. The court sought continued assistance for the families, details of payments already made and efforts to trace the 77 recruits who remain unaccounted for.