Families of Nepali mercenaries fighting for Russia in Ukraine war pressure government for their rescue: ‘hope is all we have’

Nepali men have ended fighting for Russia after paying to be recruited by Moscow for monthly salaries at least six times more than the US$130 minimum wage in Nepal

Some were aware of the risks and joined voluntarily, but others said they were tricked into going to the frontline after being promised cooking and cleaning jobs

Reading Time:4 minutes

A security official looks on as family members of Nepalis who joined the Russian army stage a sit-in protest, in Kathmandu, urging their relatives’ safe return to Nepal. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:30pm, 6 May 2024Updated: 8:44pm, 6 May 2024

In November, Rajendra Kapri’s son joined hundreds of Nepali men fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine. But 22-year-old Gautam has not contacted his family for almost three months now.

Kapri has since travelled over 100km (62 miles) from Dhading, where he lives, to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu several times hoping for answers, but to no avail. He then joined a peaceful protest with dozens of other families demanding a concrete government response toward ensuring compensation for those killed in the war and rescuing others.

Family members protested twice outside the seat of the government, and once outside the Russian Embassy, from where many of them were detained by police for protesting in restricted areas. Wearing black head bands as a sign of protest, they also set up an encampment in Ratna Park, one of Kathmandu’s busiest intersections.

The 17-day protest ended on Sunday after the government assured them that their demands would be addressed.

“We are just baffled why the government hasn’t listened to us,” Kapri told This Week in Asia from the protest site on Friday.

“Considering that there are so many families wanting answers about their missing relatives, the government should have been proactive.”