Supreme Court directs MEA to appoint nodal officer, arrange DNA tests for families of Indians killed in Russia-Ukraine war

The Supreme Court on Friday passed a series of directions aimed at helping the families of Indian nationals who died, went missing or were injured after being recruited into the Russian military, in a case where petitioners allege the men were duped by agents into signing up.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate with the affected families. The court also directed the MEA to arrange DNA tests of family members to help identify the mortal remains of those who died in the conflict, and to assist families in filing compensation claims with the Russian Embassy in India.

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The bench further asked the legal services authorities to help families obtain the mortal remains of their relatives and to assist them in filing compensation claims.

The court also directed the MEA to provide details to the families in vernacular languages, noting that many affected families would be better able to understand official communication in their regional languages rather than English.

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The directions came during the hearing of a petition filed by families of Indian nationals who allege their relatives were lured to Russia with promises of well-paying jobs, only to have their passports confiscated and be pushed into combat roles in the war against Ukraine.