NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate with the families of Indians who died, were injured or went missing after joining the Russian military during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.A bench also asked the MEA to facilitate DNA matching of family members with the mortal remains of those killed in the conflict and assist them in filing compensation claims with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. The court further directed that all relevant information be provided to the affected families in their respective vernacular languages.Regarding the Indians serving in Russian army, the Centre, in May, had informed the apex court that 217 Indians had joined the Russian military, of whom 49 had died, six were missing in action, while the status of 23 others remained unknown.Representing the MEA, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati had told the court that the Indian Embassy in Moscow was in constant touch with Russian authorities to verify deaths, trace missing individuals and facilitate the return of those released from military service. She had said 139 Indians had been released from the Russian armed forces and efforts were underway to bring them back to India.
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The Centre had also informed the court that Russian authorities had lured foreign recruits with attractive financial packages, including a signing bonus of around USD 5,000, a monthly salary of $2,500, promises of Russian citizenship, social benefits and compensation of around USD 168,000 in the event of death.The government had further stated that DNA samples from immediate family members of 21 individuals had been collected and shared with Russian authorities to help identify mortal remains, while several compensation claims had been processed through the Indian Embassy, with some families already receiving payments.