Kathmandu: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) officially announced on Monday the tragic demise of six Nepali nationals who were reportedly fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.
In an official statement, MoFA clarified that these casualties were confirmed, raising concerns as Nepal has no existing policy allowing its citizens to engage in foreign military service, except under traditional agreements with friendly nations.
The identified individuals who lost their lives in Ukraine were named as Sandeep Thapalia of Gorkha, Rupak Kari of Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai of Kaski, Pritam Karki of Syangja, Raj Kumar Roka of Ilam, and Ganga Raj Moktan of Ilam.
Expressing deep sorrow, MoFA disclosed that it has formally requested the Russian government to expedite the repatriation of the deceased Nepalis’ bodies and provide compensation to their grieving families.
Concurrently, MoFA urged the Russian government to abstain from recruiting Nepali citizens into the Russian army.
In a surprising revelation, MoFA disclosed that Nepal has asked Russia to repatriate any Nepali nationals who may have recently joined the Russian army.
The ministry stated, “Diplomatic efforts are underway to secure the return of Bibek Khatri, a Nepali citizen currently held captive in Ukraine after joining the Russian army.”
Amidst rising concerns of Nepali nationals being lured into joining the Russian army, MoFA issued an appeal to ordinary citizens, excluding government workers, recipients of Russian government scholarships, and business professionals.
The advisory urges them to travel to Russia exclusively through the Consular Service Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tripureshwar.
Furthermore, MoFA called upon all Nepali nationals to resist the temptation of false information or monetary gains when considering joining the armies of war-torn countries.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests all concerned not to join the army of war-torn countries on the basis of false information or temptation,” it emphasized.