Two years since Russia’s invasion began, tens of thousands of its soldiers have been killed in Ukraine and Moscow has been on a global quest for more troops.

At least two Indian soldiers have been killed in the conflict, with several recruits telling AFP they were shipped to the frontlines under false pretences.

A statement published by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late Tuesday said four men had been arrested, including one who had worked in Russia as a translator for a network facilitating the recruitment of Indian soldiers.

“Investigation is continuing against other accused persons who are part of this international network of human traffickers,” the statement added.

The arrests come two months after the investigators conducted raids across 13 locations in India and detained several people for questioning.

The CBI said then that it had found at least 35 instances of Indians being sent to Russia.