Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has alleged that Russia is using citizens from 47 countries, including India, Nepal, Sudan and Cuba, in its ongoing war against Ukraine. Speaking at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy urged the governments of these countries to protect their citizens and prevent them from being drawn further into the conflict. He said that people from countries such as Ghana, Nepal, India, Yemen, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Sudan and South Africa were among those being used in the war, and claimed that some foreign nationals had reached Russia through “deception and tricks.” Zelenskyy directly appealed to the representatives of the 47 countries, asking them not to allow their citizens to be sent to the battlefield and saying, “Do not let Putin drag you into this war.” The issue is also significant for India, as the Indian government has previously been working with Russia to secure the release and return of Indian nationals recruited into the Russian armed forces.
