Indians in Russia send relief supplies to boost President Putin’s war effort

Community joins nationwide movement to support soldiers fighting in Ukraine

Members of the Indian community in Russia have started mobilising relief supplies as part of a nationwide movement to support Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and strengthen President Putin’s war effort.

Abhay Singh, an Indian-origin Deputy of the Kursk City Assembly, recently handed over a batch of medicines to the local commander of the Russian forces. So far, the Indian community has sent two consignments of medicines under the initiative of Disha: Russian-Indian Friendship Society.

Founded by Dr. Rameshwar Singh, a leading Indian-origin journalist and businessman in Moscow, the society procured the medicines from Panbio Pharma of Moscow. “This is just the beginning. We will send many more consignments of medicines and other essentials to Russian soldiers and their families as they continue to fight in Ukraine,” said Dr. Singh, speaking over phone from Moscow.

Dr. Singh said the consignments are being delivered to Kursk, near the Ukraine border, and their gesture is finding widespread appreciation. In the coming weeks, Disha’s team is planning to undertake trips to Donetsk and Luhansk, with the Russian military likely to give permission to send supplies to the local population living in the middle of the warzone.

Dr. Singh said the relief supplies are being mobilised by the Indian community with help of various commercial entities that are supportive of the war effort. Launched in 2010, Disha is supported by Indian citizens, businessmen and students, and draws from Dr. Singh’s large network of connections. Hailing from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Singh studied at the Centre of Russian Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1980 and left for Moscow in 1982. He then stayed on in Russia, working as a journalist and a business consultant. In 2019, U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath awarded him with the Apravasi Bharatiya Ratan Puraskar.

'War has deepened ties'

Dr. Singh said the war has deepened Russia’s ties with India and the Indian community in Moscow and other Russian cities. The sanctions imposed on Russia have made it difficult for Moscow to export goods to the West. As a result, Russia is looking towards the East to find buyers for its goods.