NEW DELHI 

India on Wednesday pressed for a “safe and expeditious return” of Indian nationals fighting for Russia in its war on Ukraine.

“Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar wrote on X after meeting his Russian counterpart in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, which is hosting a two-day meeting of the council of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from Wednesday.

At least four Indian nationals recruited by the Russian army were killed in the ongoing war that began in February 2022.

India’s premier investigating and prosecuting agency — the Central Bureau of Investigation — in May announced the arrest of four people on charges of trafficking Indian nationals for combat roles in the Russian armed forces.

India is one of Russia’s major economic partners, and has exponentially increased its imports of Russian crude oil in recent months.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said preparations for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia have "entered the final stage."