MoFA of Nepal has expressed serious concern over four Nepalis being held captive in Ukraine

MoFA of Nepal: As the death toll of Nepali soldiers fighting for Russia against Ukrainian reaches 7, a press release was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal that Russia has been asked not to recruit Nepali citizens in the military and send back those Nepalis who are already serving in the army.

 The government of Nepal confirmed on the first week of December that six of its citizens had been killed while fighting for Moscow. Russia has been requested via the Russian Ambassador to Nepal to repatriate the dead bodies of the Nepalis, who joined the Russian Army and provide compensation to the families of the dead and the injured ones.

According to MoFA of Nepal, the government has expressed serious concern over four Nepalis being held captive in Ukraine. The government has requested the government of Ukraine via diplomatic channels to release and return the captives.

As per sources, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had said that more than 200 Nepali citizens have joined the Russian military since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. There is official information that some Nepalis fighting for Russia have been taken hostage by the Ukrainian army, and there is also information that some Nepali nationals are serving in the Ukrainian army.

Those who reached Russia on visit and student visas are now enlisted in the Russian army and six of them have been killed. It is informed that over 200 Nepalis are serving in the Russian army, and this is a new and challenging situation for Nepal.

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 UK and India as part of the Tripartite Agreement between the United Kingdom, India and Nepal. This treaty was signed in 1947 concerning the rights of Gurkhas recruited in military services of the United Kingdom and India.