Indian court extends detention of Ukrainian and American mercenaries

The men were arrested last month for allegedly training insurgents in Myanmar

Six Ukrainians and an American who were arrested in March for allegedly training insurgents in Myanmar will be detained another 30 days, according to an Indian court ruling.

The men, who were taken into custody by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), were also charged with carrying out subversive activities in the country’s northeast region, which borders Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Bangladesh.

On Monday, a Delhi court ordered that they should continue to be detained after the NIA said the men had illegally entered the Indian state of Mizoram without obtaining a mandatory special permit.

The insurgent groups that were allegedly trained and armed by the Ukrainians and the American are reportedly linked to rebel outfits in India’s northeast region, which has been marred by violence for decades.

❗️ India’s NIA Arrests Six Ukrainians, One American for Alleged ‘Terror Training’ in Myanmar – IANS

The accused have been detained on charges of ‘illegal entry, weapons and drone warfare training, and importing drones from Europe.’ pic.twitter.com/2uofIxbOdC

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 17, 2026

The NIA probe also reportedly found evidence to prove that multiple consignments of drones from Europe were delivered by the accused persons to individuals and groups in Mizoram.

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Of the six Ukrainians in the custody of the anti-terror agency, three were detained at the Delhi airport. The other three were nabbed by NIA agents at the airport in the northern city of Lucknow.

The US citizen was detained at the Kolkata airport, a key gateway to the states of Northeast India.

Terrorist cells operating from abroad tap the infrastructure, logistics, and terrain knowledge of local groups, the Indian Home Ministry said in a policy document.