Ukrainians and US citizen arrested in India over allegedly entering Myanmar to help resistance groups

Mizzima

The Special NIA Court at Patiala House Court in New Delhi has remanded seven foreigners for 11 days of custody over entering Mizoram without official permission and allegedly crossing the border to contact resistance group in Myanmar, according to ANI report 16 March.

Three Ukrainians were arrested in Delhi, three in Lucknow and one US citizen in Kolkata.

According to the report, the NIA has sought 15 days custody to investigate the case.

It is alleged they came to India on a visa, then entered Mizoram, which is a protected area. Thereafter, they entered Myanmar and contacted ethnic war groups.

It is alleged they trained ethnic war groups and brought in a “huge consignment” of drones from Europe via India.

Two local lawyers oppose the custodial remand. 

The Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine provided the following press release:

On 13 March 2026, six citizens of Ukraine were detained in the Republic of India. According to preliminary information, the charges concern unauthorized presence in the state of Mizoram, access to which requires a special permit, as well as the alleged illegal crossing of the state border between India and Myanmar. At present, the competent authorities of India are conducting the relevant investigative actions.

As of now, there are no established facts proving the involvement of the said Ukrainian citizens in unlawful activities on the territory of India or Myanmar. At the same time, certain publications, including in some Indian and Russian media outlets, contain distorted interpretations of the available facts, are manipulative in nature, and put forward unfounded allegations.

The details of the case are not being disclosed in the interests of the investigation. With the assistance of Ukrainian consular officers of the Embassy of Ukraine in India, the citizens have been provided with legal aid and defence counsel during the court proceedings. On 16 March 2026, a court hearing took place, which was also attended by representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India; however, they were not granted the opportunity to communicate directly with the detainees. Following the hearing, the court decided to extend their detention until 27 March 2026.

Contrary to established international practice, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India did not receive any official notification from the competent authorities of India 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 Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk held a meeting with the Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mr. Sibi George, during which he handed over an official note of protest demanding the immediate release of the Ukrainian citizens and access to them. In addition, the Embassy is maintaining contacts with other competent authorities of India in order to clarify all the circumstances and reasons for the detention.

The Ukrainian diplomatic mission remains in constant contact with the relatives of the detained Ukrainian citizens and is keeping the situation under special control.

We draw attention to the fact that there are certain restricted-access zones in India for foreign nationals, entry to which is possible only with special permits. At the same time, proper marking of such areas on the ground is often absent, which creates a risk of unintentional violation of the established rules.