American citizen arrested in India levels serious allegations against Russia

Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, an American citizen arrested alongside six Ukrainian nationals in India, has claimed that Russia was behind his arrest. In a social media post, he stated that he and several Ukrainians were detained in jail for over six months by India, which he alleged was part of Russia's war against Ukraine. Van Dyke further threatened to reveal 'shocking details' regarding his incarceration in Delhi's Tihar Jail through posts and media interviews in the coming months.

Responding to the matter, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, that the case is currently sub judice. He declined to comment on Van Dyke's claim that his arrest was carried out at the behest of Russia. The spokesperson clarified that the government must now await the court's decision.

Regarding the background of the incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Matthew Van Dyke and six Ukrainian nationals from various Indian airports on March 13, 2026. According to the NIA, all these individuals were accused of being involved in a cross-border conspiracy in collusion with ethnic armed groups based in Myanmar. The agency stated that the accused had entered India on tourist visas and travelled to the North-Eastern region without obtaining the mandatory permits. They allegedly entered Myanmar illegally from Mizoram, where they are accused of providing training in drone warfare, drone operations, as well as assembly and jamming technology to ethnic armed organisations. Initially, the NIA invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in this case, but the first chargesheet filed on September 8 did not include terrorism charges.

In September, a special court granted bail to Van Dyke and other accused, permitting them to leave the country on the condition that they return to India within 30 days. Van Dyke returned to Delhi on October 23 and appeared before the court. On the same day, the court permitted him to return to the USA. Simultaneously, the six Ukrainian nationals, who appeared via video conferencing, were granted permission to remain outside India until February 24, 2027.

Sharon Van Dyke, the mother of Van Dyke who had campaigned for her son's release, stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore had discussed the matter with the Indian government. On the other hand, in responses given to Indian social media users, Van Dyke claimed that he is innocent of any 'anti-India' agenda. However, he admitted that he had entered Mizoram from Myanmar without valid permission. He argued that everyone travelling to non-junta areas of North-West Myanmar passes through India and that such occurrences happen daily; therefore, the case against him should be closed.

In response to a query by The Hindu, Van Dyke stated that he would return to India to appear personally in court in February 2027, although the court has allowed him to join hearings from the USA via video conferencing. Meanwhile, the Indian government faced criticism from opposition parties, alleging that the government weakened the charges against Van Dyke and permitted the NIA to state it had no objection to allowing the accused, involved in these suspicious mercenary activities, to leave the country. According to The Hindu, the entire matter is currently under judicial process.