KATHMANDU, Aug 10: The mortal remains of five Nepali nationals who were involved in the Russian military and killed during the Russia-Ukraine war have been handed over to their families. 

The deceased—Devan Rai, Hari Prasad Aryal, Pritam Karki, Anit Kumar Shah, and Ganesh Shrestha—were cremated in Russia with the consent of their families, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reported that 118 families have applied for the search and return of their loved ones who went missing after joining the Russian army. Additionally, the relatives of 166 injured Nepalis have requested assistance in facilitating their return. So far, 36 Nepali youths have been confirmed dead in the ongoing conflict.

Of the injured, five Nepalis are currently receiving treatment, while one has returned home. In total, 162 youths have returned to Nepal, and 22 applications for DNA tests have been submitted. The MoFA is also handling six requests for documents from Moscow related to compensation claims.

The certified information of death is still awaited for several Nepali youths, including Bikash Rai from Morang, Netra Bahadur Thapa from Kaski, Uday Raj Tharu from Rupandehi, Pritam Rai from Bhojpur, Lalit Singh Doval from Darchula, Hem Kumar Magar from Kailali, Tara Prakash Gharti from Salyan, and Ramkumar Budhamagar from Rukum.

Additionally, several Nepalis have been taken hostage by the Ukrainian army, including Bibek Khatri from Bardiya, Siddhartha Dhakal from Kavre, Bikas Rai from Morang, Pratik Pun from Rolpa, Sujan Subedi from Chitwan, and Ishwor Lamichhane from Makwanpur. The government is continuing efforts to secure their safe return.