The Supreme Court on Friday (April 10, 2026) decided to intervene on behalf of 26 persons who said they are “stuck” in Russia and made to fight in the Ukraine war “unwillingly”, indicating a “human trafficking” angle.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to obtain a copy of the petition and enquire with the Union government about the plight of Indian nationals caught in the Russia-Ukraine crossfire.
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Appearing for the petitioners, the counsel pleaded for urgent help. “We are stuck in Russia. We are fighting for a foreign state unwillingly… We could be either dead or injured. We are in an extreme situation,” he submitted.
The petition claimed they have been victims of illegal overseas recruitment, trafficking and exploitation of Indian citizens. “But no FIRs have been registered. Business for them is going on, full-fledged,” the counsel said.
