The US embassy in India has stated that it is "aware of the situation" following the announcement by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the country's top anti-terror body, that seven people, including an American national, had been arrested for illegally entering Myanmar via the India route to train ethnic armed groups in the neighboring country as well as some banned groups in India.
We are aware of the matter, but we are unable to comment on situations involving US nationals due to privacy concerns, the American embassy stated.
According to a statement released today by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the six other accused are Ukrainian nationals.

According to the statement, the Ukrainian diplomatic mission is in frequent communication with the family of the arrested Ukrainian individuals and is closely monitoring the situation. India's competent authorities are currently implementing necessary investigative steps, according to the diplomatic representation of the European country that has been fighting Russia.
Matthew VanDyke is an American national. Hurba Petro, Taras Slyviak, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Maksim Honcharuk, and Viktor Kaminskyi are Ukrainian nationals.
A special NIA court in Delhi has remanded them in judicial custody for 11 days.
All of them are charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court ruled that they should be interviewed, therefore the custody.According to the first information report (FIR) filed against the seven foreign nationals, they visited restricted regions in Mizoram's northeast, illegally entered into Myanmar, and spoke with ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and some groups outlawed in India.
The accused allegedly trained armed organizations, provided weapons, and assisted with drone activities, according to the FIR. The charges reflect mercenary activities.
Larger conspiracy?
Fourteen Ukrainian nationals entered India on tourist visas on various dates, according to sources with firsthand knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity. They flew to Assam's Guwahati, then to Mizoram, a state bordering Myanmar, without valid documentation before crossing into Myanmar.Their goal was to teach EAOs in Myanmar who have links to outlawed rebel groups in India, according to sources familiar with the situation. According to reports, a huge number of drones were transported from Europe to Myanmar via India, purportedly for use by armed organizations.
What Mizoram Said
In March 2025, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma stated that his government will not oppose the Centre's intention to reimpose the Protected Area Permit (PAP) in the state and limit movement across the India-Myanmar border due to security concerns. He claimed that Mizoram was being discreetly exploited as a transit route by foreigners traveling to Myanmar, which had raised concerns at the Centre.During question hour in the state assembly, Lalduhoma stated that approximately 2,000 foreigners visited Mizoram between June and December 2024, with many of them not arriving as tourists and leaving the state unnoticed. He said that foreigners infiltrated the Indo-Myanmar border and provided military training in the Chin Hills of neighboring Myanmar.In today's geopolitics, various countries, including China and the United States, are paying close attention to the situation in our neighboring country. As a result, the scenario in Mizoram where foreigners are using it as a transit route has become a major concern for the Centre, prompting the reimposition of the Protected Area Permit in the state," the chief minister informed the assembly.

He stated that Protected Area Permits have been reinstated in other states, which might potentially serve as transit routes for Westerners traveling to Myanmar. Although the Mizoram government originally contested the decision, it eventually recognized the importance of the permit as perceived by the Centre, he said.
Protected regions include the entire states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, as well as parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand.