Ukraine Protests, US ‘Aware’ India Arrested Six Ukrainians, An American for Terror Acts

India’s anti-terror agency on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) announced the arrest of six Ukrainians and an American for alleged terrorism activities, as Kyiv registered its protest and the US embassy in New Delhi said it was aware of the situation.

The National Investigation Agency arrested the foreign nationals on allegations of illegally crossing into neighbouring Myanmar through the Indian border to train anti-Naypyidaw militant groups, violating the visa norms to enter India.

The NIA, after arresting the Ukrainians and the American over the weekend, produced them before a special court in New Delhi, which remanded them to 11-day agency custody for interrogation.

The seven individuals allegedly crossed through the Indian border from Mizoram and entered Myanmar illegally for “training ethnic war groups…associated with insurgent groups in India.”

The agency said the foreigners trained armed fighters from Myanmar and India, supplied weapons to the militant groups, and assisted in drone operations, all activities consistent with organised mercenary networks.

The seven arrested persons were allegedly carrying a “huge consignment” of military-grade drones from Europe to be supplied to the Myanmar military groups across the Indian border.

India has long believed that certain Myanmar military groups, with the same ethnicity as some Indian military outfits, were colluding to spread violence and unrest in the northeastern states of the country.

After spending time training the Myanmar militants in the use of the drones, the arrested individuals returned to India when the Ukrainians were arrested in Delhi and Lucknow, and the American in Kolkata.

The NIA case against these foreigners involved conspiracy to commit terrorist acts against the Indian state under the anti-terror laws, including provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which carried a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

The NIA First Information Report (FIR) said the accused entered restricted areas in Mizoram without the required permits, crossed illegally into Myanmar, and established contact with ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) as well as proscribed insurgent groups operating in India.

Mizoram’s chief minister had said in 2025 that several thousand Western mercenaries had crossed the Indian border into Myanmar from his state.

India is already erecting a border fence along a 1,643-km stretch on its porous border with Myanmar, running through remote jungles and snow-capped Himalayan peaks.

Ukraine immediately protested the arrest of its nationals officially, claiming there was no evidence to link them to unlawful activities. “The Ukrainian diplomatic mission remains in constant contact with the relatives of the detained Ukrainian citizens and is keeping the situation under special control,” its foreign ministry said.

It also sought consular access to the arrested Ukrainians, while challenging the charges against them as “unfounded.” It also demanded their immediate release from NIA custody.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its Ambassador Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk met India’s Secretary (West) Sibi George to hand over the official protest note.

Meanwhile, responding to media queries on the arrest of the American on terror charges, the US Embassy in New Delhi said it was “aware of the situation” but would not comment on cases involving its citizens due to “privacy reasons.”

The American national was identified as Matthew VanDyke, while the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its nationals were Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Mainskyi Viktor.