Ukraine seeks release of citizens arrested in India over alleged Myanmar drone activity

They allegedly crossed into neighbouring Myanmar to train anti-junta ethnic groups in drone warfare. Read more at straitstimes.com.

NEW DELHI – Ukraine has asked New Delhi to release six of its citizens arrested in India last week for allegedly entering a restricted border state without permits, and crossing into neighbouring Myanmar to train anti-junta ethnic groups in drone warfare.

The Indian authorities arrested the six Ukrainians, as well as one US citizen on the night of March 13 at three different airports.

According to a court order from March 16 remanding the seven in police custody until a hearing on March 27, they are accused of travelling illegally to India’s north-eastern state of Mizoram, crossing into Myanmar, and training anti‑junta ethnic armed groups in drone warfare, as well as illegally importing large consignments of drones from Europe to Myanmar via India.

Mizoram borders Myanmar’s Chin State, and the country has been engulfed in civil war and a humanitarian crisis since its military overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup.

The probe of the six Ukrainians and the American is being led by the National Investigation Agency, India’s main counter-terrorism body.

In a statement released late on March 17, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said there were “no established facts proving the involvement of the said Ukrainian citizens in unlawful activities on the territory of India or Myanmar”.