Six Ukrainians and One American Arrested in India for Aiding Insurgents in Myanmar

Six Ukrainians and one US citizen have been arrested in India. They were detained at airports in Delhi, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

The Indian Express reports that a court in Delhi has remanded them in custody until March 27.

India’s National Investigation Agency carried out the arrests last week.

According to the publication’s source, the detainees entered India on valid visas and traveled to the state of Mizoram, which borders Myanmar.

According to the agency, the detainees are allegedly involved in the illegal “import of large shipments of drones from Europe to Myanmar via India” for use by “ethnic armed groups.”

“From there, they crossed the border into Myanmar, where they reportedly met with ethnic groups hostile to India. The investigation also established that they delivered several shipments of drones from Europe to Mizoram,” the source noted.

Ukraine’s response

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on India to release the six detained Ukrainians and grant consular access to them, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to preliminary information, they are accused of unauthorized presence in the state of Mizoram, which requires a special permit to visit, as well as of allegedly illegally crossing the state border between India and Myanmar.

“As of now, there are no proven facts confirming the involvement of these Ukrainian citizens in illegal activities on the territory of India or Myanmar. At the same time, certain publications, particularly in some Indian and Russian media outlets, contain distorted interpretations of the available facts, are of a manipulative nature, and make baseless accusations,” the statement reads.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the details of the case are not being disclosed in the interests of the investigation. With the assistance of Ukrainian consuls, the citizens have been provided with legal aid and legal representation during the court proceedings.

A court hearing took place on March 16, which was attended by staff from the Ukrainian Embassy in India; however, they were not given the opportunity to speak directly with the detainees. Following the hearing, the court extended their detention until March 27, 2026.

“Contrary to established international practice, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India has not received official notification from the competent Indian authorities regarding the detention of Ukrainian citizens. The Ukrainian side insists on the immediate provision of unimpeded consular access to the detainees.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of India held a meeting with Indian Deputy Minister of External Affairs Sibi George, during which he handed over an official note of protest demanding the immediate release of the Ukrainian citizens and ensuring access to them.

In addition, the embassy is in contact with other relevant Indian authorities to clarify all the circumstances and reasons for the detention.

Uprising in Myanmar

A very brutal civil war is ongoing in Myanmar following the 2021 military coup.

The junta is attempting to secure assistance from Russia. In 2023, it was reported that artillery ammunition manufactured in Myanmar was spotted in the arsenal of the Russian military.

Before the coup, relations between the country’s leadership and the army deteriorated sharply due to the military’s dissatisfaction with the results of the national elections, which were won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party and which the military declared to be rigged.

Myanmar was under military rule until the start of democratic reforms in 2011. By 2021, ethnic groups opposed to the coup in Myanmar had begun attacking the junta’s forces.

Fighting between the junta and the rebels has escalated into large-scale operations involving armored vehicles and attack drones.

Last year, rebels began attacking the junta’s helicopters using attack FPV drones.