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Nepalis play Russian roulette in distant war

Families of Nepali who <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">enlisted in the Russian Army</a> after being promised huge salaries and citizenship now want to come home and their families are campaigning in Kathmandu to pressure both governments.&nbsp; Kritu Bhandari, who is leading the campaign, said she had counted at least 531 Nepalis in the Russian Army based on information given by family members. All are on the Ukraine front. More than 1,000 relatives have contacted the campaign to appeal for their return.&nbsp; “We have been reaching out to the families of the Nepalis who joined the Russian Army to get more details,” said Bhandari, adding that the campaign is lobbying the Nepali and Russian government to facilitate their return.&nbsp; Families of 127 of the Nepali soldiers on the Ukraine front have appealed for their return, and family members of 116 of those injured during combat have provided details of their state. However, says Bhandari, 272 Nepalis in the Russian military are out of touch.&nbsp; So far, 16 Nepali soldiers <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed">have died in combat</a>, including Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Bharat Bahadur Shah of Kailali, Devan Rai of Kaski, Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu, Sandip Thapaliya of Gorkha, Kundan Singh Nagal of Darchula, Sanjay KC of Banke, Sundar Moktan of Rasuwa, Jit Bahadur Pun of Dang, Pritam Karki and Hari Prasad Aryal of Syangja, Raj Kumar Giri and Purna Bahadur Gurung of Dhading, as well as Sajan Gurung and Santosh Gurung of Lamjung.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022512020_d994b8782b0e2c518d9779f5723418475090bac8f938188868c08c42e4bbb75b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2024022512020_d994b8782b0e2c518d9779f5723418475090bac8f938188868c08c42e4bbb75b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="531 Nepalis in Russia NT"> </figure>  The campaign has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal demanding he take diplomatic initiatives for the return of the remains of those killed, treatment of those injured in combat, as well as the rescue and repatriation of Nepalis who <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/from-frying-pan-into-fire-for-nepalis-in-russian-army">remain in the military</a>. They have also asked for compensation to the families of the dead and injured. Family members of the men killed also lit lamps at Bhasmeswor Ghat in Pashupati on Saturday evening to pray for the return of their loved ones. Nepali soldiers who have deserted the Russian military and come back to Nepal have spoken of poor treatment, lack of proper combat training, and not being paid the salary promised by recruiters in Nepal and the Gulf.&nbsp; They say that the number of Nepalis in active combat zones is much higher than the Nepal government’s estimates. This paper previously reported on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/10-nepalis-from-one-town-fighting-in-ukraine">10 young men from the same neighbourhood </a>of a town in Nepal who ended up in the Russian military who said there were 200 Nepalis in just one training camp.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240225110256_f3bed4c84b1604950633804e946dbc3da36577b63ea3d14c1ab23fca7cdaa95c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240225110256_f3bed4c84b1604950633804e946dbc3da36577b63ea3d14c1ab23fca7cdaa95c" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="511" loading="lazy" alt="531 Nepalis in Russia NT"> <figcaption>Family members of the men killed fighting for the Russian Army lit lamps at Bhasmeswor Ghat in Pashupati on Saturday.</figcaption> </figure>  Meanwhile, four Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army are known to have been c<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/6-nepali-kia-and-4-pows-in-ukraine">aptured and detained by Ukrainian forces</a>: Bibek Khatri from Bardia, Siddharth Dhakal from Kavre, Bikas Rai from Letang, and Pratik Magar from Rolpa. A few Nepalis are also fighting on the other side in the Ukrainian Army.&nbsp; The Nepal government has tried to control nationals going to Russia, and arrested recruiters said to be involved in supplying soldiers to the Russian Army. Recruiters are said to have lured young Nepalis to Russia with promises of six months of training during which they are paid Rs500,000 a month, as well as eventual Russian citizenship. More than anything else, Nepali recruitment in the Russian Army demonstrates the desperation of the youth in Nepal and the lengths they are willing to go to get well-paying jobs.&nbsp; Last week, the Indian government also officially asked Russia to facilitate the return of its nationals who are also fighting in Ukraine. India has called its nationals being involved in ‘army support jobs’, but most reports say they are seeing action on the Ukraine front. There are said to be hundreds of Indians in the Russian Army, and at least one has been reported killed in action.

531 Nepalis in Russian Army

Bikas Khambu, 33, from Letang Municipality was an ambitious young man with a strong desire to become a Gurkha soldier in the British Army. &nbsp;He enrolled at a centre training young aspirants for the selection process and was tested four times but not selected.&nbsp; Undeterred, Khambu remained steadfast in his pursuit until finally in August he got a tip from a childhood friend about the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Russian Army</a> opening recruitment to foreigners. “There is a three month training, and by that time the war will be over,” the friend from Letang told him over the phone. “More risk means more money, why not take the chance?" Convinced, Khambu deposited Rs 850,000 ($7,500) into his friend's account. He said goodbye to his wife Elisa Chemjong and flew out of Kathmandu on 4 October, the first day of the Dasain festival.&nbsp; He met up with Dal Bahadur Rai also from Letang, and flew on to Moscow. Rai had not told his family where he was going because they might dissuade him. Both were on Russian tourist visas. "We told him not to be tempted by the money, especially because it was Russia,” his sister Bhima Limbu said. “But he went anyway.” Khambu and Rai are not the only young men from Letang who have joined the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/6-nepali-kia-and-4-pows-in-ukraine">Russian Army</a>, there are ten families in just one neighbourhood in this town in the southeastern plains of Nepal to be enlisted to fight in Ukraine. Suraj Magrati was among others from Letang who were with Khambu on the flight to Dubai from Kathmandu on 4 October. There could be more than ten, but those individuals could not be verified as having gone to Russia. "I have heard about the young men joining the Russian Army, but no one has filed an application at the ward office for assistance or to search for these young men," said Ward Chair Ram Prasad Adhikari. &nbsp; Indeed, besides Letang, there are young men from other villages in this region of Nepal, which is the traditional recruitment area for Gurkha soldiers, to join the British and Indian Armies who have also joined the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed">Russian military</a>.&nbsp; "We've only heard about their departure for the Russian Army, however, there haven't been any official requests for rescue or search operations," says Letang mayor Bhupendra Kumar Lawati.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023122815120_6ca80187b16ded4d1f585fbfad873c831747f27ae163e560a40c48391ac039fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023122815120_6ca80187b16ded4d1f585fbfad873c831747f27ae163e560a40c48391ac039fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="800" height="419" loading="lazy" alt="Nepalis in Ukraine"> <figcaption>Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army. Photo: MANSER RAI</figcaption> </figure>  Two months after they left, the young men have sent little information about their whereabouts or condition. But an audio recording of a call confirmed &nbsp;Suraj Magrati was injured on the Ukraine frontlines. In the clip he has asked for emergency evacuation.&nbsp; Khambu has been out of contact for three weeks, says his wife Elisa who is very worried. Earlier, she had got information from other Nepalis that her husband had been taken prisoner by the Ukrainian Army. “He told me to wait for a year and he would return with a lot of savings to take care of the family,” Elisa said. Tika Gurung from Letang was stationed in the same camp, and has also been out of contact since 25 November — the same day that Elisa also got her last call from Khambu. Gurung’s brother Anesh says the Nepalis were taken to the frontlines that day.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Dal Bahadur Rai who also travelled to Moscow from Dubai with Khambu has reportedly been detained by the Russians for desertion. &nbsp;"We've been told that he was caught while trying to escape and has been locked up in a bunker near the frontlines,” said his sister Bhima.&nbsp; Most of the men from Letang paid human traffickers between Rs500,000 to Rs900,000 to join the Russian Army where they were <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">promised salaries of up to Rs500,000 a month, full military training and Russian citizenship</a>.&nbsp; Two Nepalis who recently returned to Nepal after fleeing the frontlines, Manser Rai, and Chhatra Magar, both aged 32 from Letang, have been recounting their experience and dissuaded others from being tempted to go to Russia. Manser wanted to join the Singapore Police, but was not selected and was convinced by recruiters that Russia was an attractive option. He flew to Moscow and signed the contract with the Russian Army on 16 November. He has a wife, two children, and elderly parents, and Manser felt he could take care of them with earnings in the Russian military. But although promised three months of training, he and other Nepalis were immediately taken to the frontlines after 15 days in a camp. Manser managed to escape and his journey back to Nepal took him via &nbsp;Moscow, Azerbaijan and Delhi. Manser also convinced several other &nbsp;villagers from Letang not to sign the contract and they returned to Nepal with him. They are now seeking refunds from the traffickers in Kathmandu.&nbsp; The families of other young men in Letang have heard these stories and want help from the government to repatriate them. "There are elderly parents at home, my brother is confined in a bunker there,” says Bhima, Dal Bahadur Rai’s sister. “He left impulsively, and now the Russians are torturing him.” <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uKxLKW80MoU?si=IFotaA7yd8WiAocX" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> So far, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/from-frying-pan-into-fire-for-nepalis-in-russian-army">seven Nepalis are officially confirmed to have been killed</a> in action while fighting on the Russian side against Ukraine. The deceased are Sandeep Thapalia from Gorkha, Gangaraj Moktan from Elam, Rajkumar Roka and Kusum Lama Roka from Dolakha, Pritam Karki from Syangja, Bharat Shah from Kailali, and Kundan Singh Nagal from Kanchanpur. Four Nepali soldiers in the Russian Army are Ukrainian prisoners of war: &nbsp;Bibek Khatri from Bardia, Siddharth Dhakal from Kavre, Bikas Rai from Letang, and Pratik Magar from Rolpa.&nbsp;

10 Nepalis from one town fighting in Ukraine

Several of the seven Nepalis who joined the Russian Army and were killed in the Ukraine war were retired from the Nepal police and military, or were former Maoist guerrillas. &nbsp;
On Wednesday, Nepal’s foreign ministry announced the death of the seventh known <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed" target="_blank">Nepali killed in action on the Ukraine front.</a> He is Kundan Nagal from one of Nepal’s remotest districts, Darchula.
Five years ago he had retired from Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF), a group that was formed in 2000 before the Nepal Army got involved in the insurgency to fight the Maoist rebels.
The Foreign Ministry did not reveal any details about Nagal, but Nepali Times has learnt that he had been in the APF for 14 years &nbsp;after the ceasefire. The APF mainly guards infrastructure and border areas of Nepal.
Nagal is said to have decided to quit the APF and also leave Nepal because he was worried about not being able to support his family with the salary he got in Nepal. He first migrated to Dubai and worked in the police for three years.
During the Covid pandemic, he left that job and returned to Nepal and moved his family to Mahendranagar in the plains of western Nepal. His wife and two children live there.
Nagal’s former colleagues in the APF remember him as an able trainer, who was lured by traffickers in Dubai in November to join the Russian Army and promised a big salary.
Because of his police background and familiarity with firearms he was immediately deployed on the Ukraine front, and had called his family on 7 November to say he had been sent to ‘Red Zone’ and would not have reliable mobile connections.&nbsp;
“He had no illusions that it was dangerous where he was going,” recalls Kundan’s brother Rabindra. “He told me he did not know whether he would come out of it alive.”
But the very next day on 8 November, a Nepali fellow-soldier somehow got word to Nepal that Kundan had been injured. But he had been out of contact since then, until the Foreign Ministry announced he had died on 20 December.
Meanwhile, Kundan’s wife Pratikshya was still waiting to hear that his injuries were being treated. Out of the blue, she found out through the media the Foreign Ministry’s press statement that her husband was dead.&nbsp;
The only other information the ministry divulged was his passport number, and it was on that basis that the family was sure it was him. Rabindra is convinced that his brother’s body is not going to come back.
Pratikshya is in shock and in no condition to speak to anyone. Her husband had been sending money regularly from Dubai, and the family’s new house is nearing completion. Kundan had not been able to send any more from Russia after he got there last month.
“The real worry is the children and how they will be raised,” says Bikram Kunwar, Pratikshya’s brother.&nbsp;
Two other ex-APF security guards in Dubai had also gone to Russia with Kundan. The two are also on the frontlines, and have told their families that they left Nepal because of low pay in the police force.
Another Nepali in the Russian Army, Bharat Shah, was killed on 20 November in Avdiivka but the family got the news from fellow Nepalis last week. Shah had also been wounded on the frontlines, and died because of delayed treatment.
Shah’s family carried out a ritual funeral for him on the banks of the Karnali last week. He had a wife, a son, and an infant daughter. The Russian Army has denied there are foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine.
There are said to be at least 700 Nepalis in the Russian Army who have been attracted by the promise of a much higher salary and Russian citizenship.
Among those killed are: Kundan Nagal and Bharat Shah, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, Sandip Thapaliya, Rupak Karki of Kapilvastu and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam.
Four Nepalis in the Russian Army have been captured by the Ukrainians, and Nepal is working with the ICRC to bring them home. Pratik Pun of Dang, Siddharth Dhakal of Kavre, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine" target="_blank">Bibek Khatri of Bardia</a> were all captured in Ukraine in the past three months.
The Nepal government announced that Nepalis going to Russia on tourist visas now need no objection certificates from the Consular Department. About 10 agents who were involved in sending the Nepalis to the Russian Army were arrested last week. But the traffickers simply moved to Dubai and are recruiting Nepalis there.&nbsp;
Among them was Ram Chandra Khadka from Rukum who saw action as a Maoist guerrilla in the battle of Khara in 2002. Khadka, 36, was approached by traffickers in October and sent to Bakhmut where he was injured, and is now being treated in a Moscow Hospital.&nbsp;
Several Nepalis have paid the same traffickers who took them to Russia to bring them back after deserting the Russian Army. &nbsp;They have spoken of poor treatment, not being paid the promised salary and dangerous conditions. They said the Russians were now trying to prevent desertions.

From frying pan into fire for Nepalis in Russian Army

During the Dasain festival last month, Sarala Thapa went to her parents' home in Kapilvastu district. It would be a celebration without her brother Rupak, who had gone to Russia. But the occasion turned tragic when three people showed up at the doorstep in Banganga Municipality to tell them that Rupak had been killed in action on the Ukraine front, 9,000km away.&nbsp; Since then, the family has been unable to process that Rupak is gone. The 24-year-old had gone to Russia two years ago on a student visa, and like dozens of Nepalis had joined the Russian Army, lured by the promise of a handsome salary and eventual Russian citizenship.&nbsp; “My brother called four months ago to say that we might not hear from him during his six-month training period and that he would call us once training was over,” says Sarala. “It has not been six months yet.” Ward Chair Sanju Saru Magar had received a phone call from Kathmandu about Rupak having been killed during the conflict in Ukraine. The caller asked them to convey the information to Rupak’s family but was unable to say if Rupak’s body could be brought back. Ward council member Rajkumar Tharu was among those who went to Rupak’s house in early November to notify his family of his death. It was their second attempt to deliver the news to the family. Ward member Tharu, who is also neighbours with the Karki family, says that Rupak's father Man Bahadur and mother Laxmi &nbsp;were unable to accept that their child had been killed. Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/3-more-nepalis-in-russian-army-killed"> 3 more Nepalis in Russian army killed</a>, Nepali Times  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120601124_b55402221065995b1711d8b3df3a8c6d78be93ccb80e5f8718a70d3e638c39b2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023120601124_b55402221065995b1711d8b3df3a8c6d78be93ccb80e5f8718a70d3e638c39b2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Nepalis in Russian Army NT"> <figcaption>Rupak Karki was killed on 30 June after joining the Russian Army to fight on the Ukraine front. A photo appearing to show is grave has been published on a memorial site</figcaption> </figure>  “They were still sure that their son would call them once he had finished training,” says Tharu. “They also found it difficult to believe because we could provide them with no other detail surrounding his death.”&nbsp; Ward president Magar says that the person who called to break the news identified themself as a Russian Embassy official, but upon checking on True Caller, they found the number to have been of a foreign employment company. Meanwhile, the unconfirmed news of Rupak’s death spread like wildfire in the district in Nepal that is the birthplace of the Buddha.&nbsp; "We tried multiple times to reach the number again, but we could not get back in touch,” says Magar. "We had to notify his family with what little information we had.”&nbsp; On Monday, Nepal's Foreign Ministry officially published the names of six Nepalis who had been killed while serving in the Russian Army. Rupak Karki’s name was second on the list.&nbsp; Others who have died include Sandip Thapaliya of Gorkha, Dewan Rai of Pokhara, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">Nepalis in the Russian Army want to quit</a>, Bhadra Sharma Following confirmation from the Foreign Ministry, Lumbini provincial assembly member Bishnu Panthi along with other elected officials as well as the local police reached Rupak Karki's house on Tuesday morning to officially notify his family of his passing.&nbsp; But the government officials were only able to tell the family that Rupak had been killed in action in the Russia-Ukraine war, not when or how he had died, says Rupak’s uncle Gautam Karki. “There is still a lot of shock and confusion here,” says Gautam. “Rupak’s parents are unable to believe that their only son has died without seeing his body.” Rupak’s father Man Bahadur rears chickens, while his mother Laxmi is an office assistant at a local microfinance company. The couple’s older daughter Sarala is married. Rupak himself had been learning Korean to try to find work in South Korea. But he along with his neighbour Yuvaraj Poudel decided to go to Russia in early 2022 after learning that it was easier to acquire a student visa and find work there. The two reached Russia through a Kathmandu-based foreign employment agency in May 2022.&nbsp; A year later, Rupak entered into a Special Military Operations (SMO) agreement with the Russian Ministry of Defense to serve in the Russian Army. Yuvaraj Poudel, who went to Russia with Rupak, was also recruited and is in regular contact with his family.&nbsp; The Russian website Book of Memories of Ivanovo, states that Rupak Karki was killed on 30 June on the Ukraine front while participating in the 'special military operation'. The website includes photographs of a grave with his name in Cyrillic and a photograph in the city of Novo-Talitsy in the Ivanovo Oblast, a Russian administrative region 324 km north-east of Moscow. The website describes its objective as ‘preserving the memory and organising information about Ivanovo warriors and their military comrades’. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Nepali soldier captured in Ukraine</a>, Nepali Times Another Russian news website Cursiv, citing a book of remembrance from the Ivanovo region, states that Sandip Thapaliya and another person whose nationality has not been disclosed were buried in the same region along with Rupak Karki. Sandip Thapaliya was said to have been killed in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in July, and his body was thought to have been buried near the frontline. According to the memorial, Sandip was killed on 28 June during a ‘combat mission’.&nbsp; Photographs appear to show names and dates of birth on the tombs of Rupak and Sandip, with wreaths placed atop their graves.&nbsp; An unnamed Nepali prisoner of war in Ukrainian military captivity has sent a tearful video to his family asking them to bring him home. In the video he has said there are “other” Nepali prisoners also in Ukraine. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry revealed last month that a Nepali recruit in the Russian Army, Bibek Khatri of Bardia was also a prisoner of war in Ukraine and that the government was using diplomatic channels to bring him back. On Tuesday, Nepal Police took 10 foreign employment recruiters into custody for allegedly sending Nepalis to Russia on visitor visas for recruitment into the Russian military. Reports said the agencies had sent at least 200 Nepalis to Russia promising huge salaries and Russian citizenship. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/recruitment-of-nepalis-into-indian-army-paused">Recruitment of Nepalis into Indian Army paused</a>, Jibraj Chalise and Durga Rana Magar

Graves of Nepali soldiers in Russia

Three more Nepalis who joined the Russian Army have died on the Ukraine front, bringing the total to four. Several others have been wounded, and one deserted the Russian military and returned to Nepal to tell harrowing tales of suffering.
The deaths of the three was contained in a letter sent to Department of Consular Services in Kathmandu by the Nepal Embassy in Moscow on 24 November, and was only revealed on Wednesday.&nbsp;
Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Dolakha, and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam were killed in action on 15 November possibly near the town of Avdiivka where a fierce battle has been raging for three months. Another Nepali serving in the Russian Army, Sandip Thapaliya from Gorkha, is also said to have been killed in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in July, and his body buried near the frontline.
Russian authorities confirmed the deaths, sending death certificates of the three Nepalis, said the embassy.&nbsp;
Relatives in Nepal say that there is little to no contact with loved ones in the Russian army, and Nepalis who had joined up described brutal battles during sparse phone calls from the battlefront.&nbsp;
There have been unconfirmed reports of deaths and injuries of other Nepalis since they began to join the Russian military. Officials in Nepal have said that there is little way to determine how many Nepalis left to join the Russian Army.&nbsp;
The Nepali Embassy’s letter to the Department of Consular Services also requested to establish communication with the families of the deceased youth. The families have sent letters to the Foreign Ministry to ask for details about their loved ones.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepalis-in-the-russian-army-want-to-quit">Nepalis in the Russian Army want to quit</a>, Bhadra Sharma
<div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uKxLKW80MoU?si=G1vcrTYV313DGVWl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
The Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm or officially address the deaths of the Nepalis. However, friends and families of those killed in the war were informed by Foreign Ministry officials that the process to identify and repatriate them will be lengthy, after which families have begun to perform the last rites of their loved ones without their bodies.
Hundreds of Nepalis based in Russia for study and employment joined the Russian Army since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Most Nepalis who joined the Russian military and were lured to fight by prospects of earning as much as Rs400,000 a month, and eventual Russian citizenship after Russia relaxed immigration and citizenship procedures to recruit foreigners into their military.
Some young people in Nepal as well as Nepali migrants based in the Gulf have also left for Russia on student and tourist visas, lured by the promise of high pay. Smaller numbers of Nepalis have also been serving in the Ukrainian Army. &nbsp;
Most young Nepali mercenaries have no prior combat prior training or experience. Families of Nepalis in Russia have said that they were sent to the frontlines with only a week’s worth of training, and were only getting one-fourth of the promised salary. Foreign recruits were told they would undergo a three-month training before being sent into combat.&nbsp;
Many of them have realised that the realities of war are much different, and want to return home, one of the returnees said in a video interview earier this year. Families in Nepal have met with officials of the Foreign Ministry multiple times to bring their loved ones back home from the frontlines in Ukraine.&nbsp;
In October, a Nepali mercenary fighting with the Russian Army was captured in the Avdiivka by Ukrainian forces.<a href="https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1714955395037278371"> A video posted on X</a> by Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, shows Bibek Khatri of Bardia stating that he joined the Russian military to make money and make his mother proud. There is no word about his present whereabouts.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepali-captured-in-ukraine">Nepali soldier captured in Ukraine</a>, Nepali Times

nepalis-in-russian-military

Nepalis play Russian roulette in distant war

531 Nepalis in Russian Army

10 Nepalis from one town fighting in Ukraine

From frying pan into fire for Nepalis in Russian Army

Graves of Nepali soldiers in Russia

3 more Nepalis in Russian army killed