Nepal Requests Return of Bodies of Those Killed and Nepalis Recruited to Fight in Ukraine from Russia

According to Nepal’s top diplomat on Thursday, the country has requested that Russia return hundreds of its citizens who were enlisted to fight against Ukraine and return the corpses of those who lost their lives in the fighting.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said that the Russian army is believed to have enlisted over 200 Nepali citizens to fight in Ukraine and that at least 14 of them had lost their lives in the conflict.

“We have requested that Russia immediately cease recruiting Nepali citizens into their armed forces, repatriate those who are currently serving, repatriate the bodies of those who have been killed, and tend to and return those who have been injured in combat,” Saud said.

According to Saud, Nepal is also requesting financial assistance from Russia for the relatives of its citizens who lost their lives in the conflict.

Russia claims to be in the custody of 12 of the 14 Nepali nationals whose deaths have been officially verified. The majority of Nepalis want their departed loved ones’ remains to be burned in accordance with religious customs.

“We have learned that the Ukrainian side is holding five of our people who fought with the Russians hostage. According to Saud, “We are requesting that the Russian side take action to secure their release.”

The recruitment of foreign nationals for military duty in Ukraine has not been addressed by Russian authorities; nonetheless, media sources claim that the Russian military has also recruited some individuals from Cuba in addition to Nepal.

According to Russian legislation, foreigners who complete an agreement with the Defense Ministry may join the country’s armed forces.

17 persons were detained by Cuban police in September on suspicion of being part of a network that recruited citizens of Cuba to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

In an effort to bolster its military presence in Ukraine via a variety of means, including the recruitment of migrants, Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month signed an order expediting the process of Russian citizenship for foreign nationals enlisting in the nation’s armed forces.

According to Saud, he did not have any more information on this, Ukraine is also thought to have enlisted a few Nepalis as troops.

Since several of its nationals have reportedly been enlisted by the Russian army to serve in the crisis in Ukraine, the government of Nepal has prohibited its residents from seeking jobs in Russia or Ukraine.

Every year, tens of thousands of Nepalis leave the nation in pursuit of job; however, they must first get a government visa. It is thought that those who managed to reach Russia first passed via a third nation while posing as tourists before taking a plane to Russia.

Earlier this month, at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Uganda, Saud had a meeting with Russian officials and went over the problems at hand.

“We have made it very clear to them that they must send our citizens back right away and that they are not permitted to enlist in the army,” said Saud.

For generations, the British army recruited Nepali citizens to serve as renowned Gurkha troops. Later, when India got independence from Britain, Nepali people were also recruited by India. Following the ratification of a treaty between Nepal and Britain, that arrangement was established in 1816.