Kamaladevi Bista from Sundarpur, Bedkot-9, Kanchanpur, received a message from her son Lokendra Bahadur, who had joined the Russian army, last June. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ve paid off the debts. I’ll return to build our home,” he had assured her on Messenger. But since then, her phone had been silent, and she couldn’t stop her tears. Finally, the dreaded news arrived from Russia, leaving her heartbroken. Lokendra, along with 10 other Nepalis, was killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Lokendra, along with neighbors Birajan Bista and his brother Nirajan, had paid a middleman NPR 700,000 to reach Russia. Lokendra had been out of contact since July 12, and his death has now been confirmed, along with Birajan’s, while Nirajan is reported injured. They were killed in Zaporizhzhia, a region under Russian control. Lokendra, who had previously worked in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, joined the Russian army with hopes of earning a good salary.
On Monday, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of 10 more Nepalis serving in the Russian army. According to details sent by the Nepalese Embassy in Moscow by December 23, the death toll of Nepalis in the Russia-Ukraine war has reached 49. The deceased include Jeevan Rai from Morang, Birajan and Lokendra Bahadur from Kanchanpur, Ganesh Singh Pun from Rolpa, Ganesh Shrestha from Syangja, Om Bahadur Magar, Jeevan Limbu, Mohan Tamang, and Dhruva Gharti Magar from Udayapur, and Ranjit Gurung from Chitwan.
The government has informed all the families of the deceased. While some families had already performed funeral rites based on unofficial information, Kanchanpur’s Birajan was confirmed to have died in a drone strike inside a bunker on April 18. His family had completed his last rites based on videos shared by friends.
Birajan’s wife, Chandani, plans to travel to Moscow on December 25 for the final rituals. “We couldn’t get a direct flight from Nepal, so we’ll go through Delhi and Dubai,” she said. “I’ll complete the funeral rites in Moscow and initiate the process for compensation. If needed, I’ll stay in Moscow until we get it.” She also plans to meet her injured brother-in-law, Nirajan.
Ranjit Gurung from Chitwan was last in contact on June 8, before moving to another war front. “I hope my journey ahead is safe,” he had posted on TikTok before going silent. Ranjit, who initially went to Dubai for foreign employment, joined the Russian army from there but lost his life in his seventh month of service.
Nepal lacks an official record of the number of Nepalis recruited into the Russian army. However, reports suggest that incomplete military training and deployment in high-risk “red zones” have increased casualties.
The families of 118 missing Nepalis have submitted applications to Nepal’s Consular Department. Of them, 57 families, upon Russia’s request, have provided DNA samples to help identify the remains. However, many cases remain unresolved.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formally requested Russia on December 4, 2023, to stop recruiting Nepali citizens into its army and to repatriate those already enlisted. It is estimated that around 1,500 Nepalis had joined the Russian army. Among them, 162 have returned to Nepal after terminating their contracts.
According to Nepal’s acting ambassador to Russia, Sushil Ghimire, Russia stopped recruiting Nepalis in May 2023. For those whose contracts are ending, Russia has adopted lenient policies to facilitate their return. However, some Nepalis with canceled contracts remain in war zones, and efforts are ongoing to bring them back to Moscow.
