Death toll of Nepali nationals killed in Russia-Ukraine war hits hits  

KATHMANDU, March 15: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) officially confirmed on Thursday the deaths of seven additional Nepali nationals who were fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.

The MoFA in a statement said that the news of deaths of Nepali nationals in the Russian army comes even as the Nepal government has banned recruitment of Nepali nationals in foreign armies except for the national army of a few friendly countries. They were killed while fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.

Those confirmed killed on Thursday while fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine include Purna Bahadur Gurung (Dhading), Nabin Shahi (Jajarkot), Padam Bahadur Ghimire (Udayapur), Ganga Ram Adhikari (Jhapa), Jit Bahadur BK (Baglung), Sanjaya KC (Banke) and Sundar Moktan (Rasuwa).

The MoFA has extended heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in Ukraine.

Earlier, the MoFA had confirmed the deaths of 12 Nepali nationals recruited in the Russian army. They also died while fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine. The conflict in the Russia-Ukraine war has claimed the lives of Nepali citizens, particularly youths who have illegally joined the Russian army to participate in the war.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement in August urged Nepali citizens not to go for security-related works in war-torn countries. 

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to the news on social networking sites that Nepali citizens have joined foreign armies,” said the statement. “The policy of the Nepal government does not allow Nepali citizens to join foreign armies except for the fact that Nepali citizens are being recruited in the national armies of some friendly countries as per the traditional agreement reached between Nepal and those countries.”

The foreign ministry reiterated its statement issued on August 1 and asked Nepali nationals not to join any foreign army except those approved by the government.

About 500 Nepalis are believed to be working in different roles in the Russian army, despite the government's advice to avoid risking lives there. Additionally, some Nepali youths are reportedly serving in the Ukrainian Army, too, but their exact number is not known.

A Nepali youth, who escaped from the Russian army and returned home before his deployment to the warzone, revealed that Nepalis recruited in the Russian army were taken directly to the warzone in Ukraine and that the death toll of Nepalis stands at around 500 which is in stark contrast to the claim made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that about a dozen Nepalis have been killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Speaking at a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday, Suman Rai, who hails from Khotang, disclosed that upon joining the Russian army, Nepali recruits were immediately deployed to the battlefield, leaving their chances of survival to near zero. He said that there is a practice of the Russian army to deploy Nepali soldiers in the frontline of conflict zones, putting their lives at great risk.

Despite the government's efforts to prevent Nepalis from joining the armies of both Russia and Ukraine by ceasing the issuance of employment permits to these countries on January 4, many individuals have managed to reach Russia using student and tourist visas with the assistance of human traffickers and subsequently joined its military forces. Government agencies estimate that between 800 and 1000 Nepali youths have been recruited into the Russian army, with experts suggesting that the actual number could be even higher.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the Nepali government is continuing its diplomatic efforts with high priority to return Nepali citizens who have joined the Russian army to Nepal.

Similarly, the Russian government has been requested again to provide compensation to the families of the Nepalis who lost their lives fighting for the Russian army, to treat the injured and to send back the Nepali nationals working there.

Recently on March 7, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha requested Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to expedite the repatriation of dead bodies of Nepalis, provide compensation to the families of the dead and facilitate the return of the Nepali citizens serving in the Russian army.

DPM Shrestha made such a request to the Russian minister by holding a telephone conversation with him last Thursday. 

In response, Minister Lavrov assured Russia's Foreign Ministry’s support in addressing the concerns of Nepal.

Here is a list of Nepali citizens who died in the Russia-Ukraine war:

1.    Sonu Sunar ( Kathebar, Pyuthan Municipality-4 )

2.    Bharat Shah (Tikapur Municipality-1 Durga Nagar, Kailali)

3.    Sandeep Thapaliya (Gorkha)

4.    Rupak Karki (Banganga-1, Kapilvastu)

5.    Dewan Rai (Kaski)

6.    Pitam Karki (Putali Bazaar-5, Syangja)

7.    Raj Kumar Roka (Melung-6, Dolakha)

8.    Ganga Raj Moktan (Ilam-5, Ilam)

9.    Kundan Singh Nagal (Ilam)

10.    Sajan Gurung  (Dudh Pokhari Rural Municipality, Lamjung)

11.    Sundar Moktan  (Naukunda Rural Municipality-5)

12.    Purna Bahadur Gurung (Dhading)

13.    Nabin Shahi (Jajarkot)

14.    Padam Bahadur Ghimire (Udayapur)

15.    Ganga Ram Adhikari (Jhapa)

16.    Jit Bahadur BK (Baglung)

17.    Sanjay KC (Banke)

18.    Sundar Moktan (Rasuwa)

19.     Hari Prasad Aryal (Syanja)

 
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