Nepalese in Russian army: official figure disputes and families losing contact
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According to the government of Nepal, around 200 citizens have been recruited by the Russian army, 13 of whom have lost their lives in the conflict zone. However, parliamentarians and human rights champions in Nepal hold the view that these official figures have been markedly downplayed.
Nepalese fighting for the Russian army in Ukraine
Opposition MP and former foreign minister Bimala Rai Paudyal stated there are between 14,000 and 15,000 Nepalese involved in frontline combat, drawing from the accounts of returnees from the war zone. The deputy urged the Russian authorities to reveal the actual census of Nepalis serving in the Russian military.
- The Russian authorities should hold data on the quantity of foreign combatants that have integrated into the Russian army and should acknowledge how many Nepalese are fighting for Russia - she claimed.
The Nepalese Foreign Ministry reports that currently, four Nepalese mercenaries find themselves captive in Ukraine.
CNN did not receive any response from the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding inquiries about the count of Nepalese recruited into the Russian army or the number of those killed in the conflict.
Kritu Bhandari, a political figure and social activist based in Kathmandu and leader of the association supporting family members of Nepalese men engaged in the Ukraine conflict, notes that in recent weeks approximately 2000 families have reached out to him seeking assistance in establishing communication with missing family members or repatriating those who remain in sporadic contact with home.
As per Bhandari, hundreds of families are asserting that their relatives in Russia and Ukraine have not maintained contact for multiple weeks or even months.
Loss of communication with families for months
Three months ago, Januki Sunar's husband journeyed to Russia to join the army. CNN reports that he has not communicated with his family back in Nepal for two and a half months.
The last time Sunar spoke to her husband, he informed that the Russian military was relocating him to another site and prohibited him from bringing along his mobile phone. He did not disclose his transferral destination.
- The situation is extremely worrisome. I have no clue about his wellbeing. He could be injured… I wonder if they'll ever return his phone. Fear is mounting. I strive to not dwell upon the worst case scenario - expressed the woman.
She underscored that her husband, the family's sole income earner, who was engaged in the fabrication of silver jewellery and kitchen utensils, joined the Russian army purely for financial reasons - to provide for his family.
