KATHMANDU: Following a request from the Nepal government, the recruitment of Nepalis into the Russian army has reportedly ceased. Many Nepali youths who were taken by intermediaries for recruitment have returned home without being enlisted, and others who had already been recruited have also returned. Since June, around 150 Nepalis have returned from the Russian army, according to government officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 138 Nepalis have returned via the Nepali Embassy in Moscow, with some returning without embassy assistance. Currently, three Nepali nationals, including Navaraj Gurung from Lamjung, are in contact with the embassy for repatriation.
Gurung, who is currently sheltered at the embassy, contacted the embassy after receiving permission from the Russian army to return home. Nepal had previously submitted a list of 321 citizens to the Russian government, requesting their return from the Russian army. Russia began recruiting foreign nationals into its army in September 2022, offering attractive salaries and benefits, which attracted some Nepali students studying in Russia and others brought by human traffickers. Following that, the Nepali Embassy in Moscow and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu pushed via bilateral agreements that Nepalis not be recruited into the Russian army.
Nepal filed a diplomatic message on December 1, 2023, urging that the recruiting of Nepalis into the Russian army be halted, that injured Nepalis be treated, and that the relatives of the deceased get recompense. Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Yuriev in Tehran to address the matter. Russian authorities have expressed a preference for handling the repatriation of Nepalis quietly, avoiding public attention on the matter.
