A growing number of Nepali nationals captured while fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine are appealing for diplomatic intervention, hoping they can be included in future prisoner exchange agreements between Russia and Ukraine instead of being directly repatriated to Nepal.

Among them is Krishna Bahadur Ghimire, who travelled from Dubai to Russia in 2023 after learning through friends that the Russian Army was recruiting foreign nationals. After serving for nearly 11 months, Ghimire was captured by Ukrainian forces during combat and is currently being held in a Ukrainian prisoner-of-war (POW) camp.

“I first want to return to Russia because I served in the Russian Army and need to claim the benefits promised under my contract,” Ghimire said through messages facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the only channel through which prisoners are permitted to communicate with their families.

In a zoom conversation with ApEx, Ghimire sent a handwritten message to his daughter, who is studying psychology at university. “Continue your studies, fulfil your responsibilities and always maintain your dignity,” he wrote.

Although he remains uncertain about when the Russia-Ukraine war will end, Ghimire says he hopes to regain his freedom through an official prisoner exchange between the two warring countries.

Another Nepali prisoner, Pratik Pun, originally from Rolpa whose family now lives in Dang, travelled to Russia on a student visa after struggling financially following the death of his father. Expecting to combine study and employment, he later joined the Russian Army after acquaintances assured him of lucrative salaries.

Pun said he spent around Rs 500,000 on university enrolment and tuition fees before financial hardship forced him to seek other opportunities. Recruitment documents were entirely in Russian, leaving him unaware of the exact terms of his military contract.

“We were told we could earn around $86,000,” he said. Like Ghimire, Pun believes the most realistic path to freedom is through an exchange of prisoners rather than direct deportation from Ukraine. “We request Nepal to ask Russia to prioritise us in prisoner exchange negotiations,” he said. 

Similarly, Bibek Khakri travelled to Russia hoping to study while working. Financial difficulties eventually led him to enlist in the Russian military. “We do not blame the government because we made the decision ourselves,” he said. “But returning directly to Nepal will not solve our problems. We still hope Russia will honour the compensation promised under our agreement.”

Interviews with returned migrants and prisoners indicate that most Nepali recruits were under 30 years old and came from economically vulnerable backgrounds. Many had no previous military experience and learned about recruitment opportunities through relatives, friends or migrant workers already living in Russia. Several recruits initially entered Russia on tourist or student visas before eventually joining the military.

One former recruit recalled being warned by officials at the Russian Embassy in Kathmandu not to become involved in the war. Nevertheless, after borrowing approximately Rs 160,000 to finance his journey, he travelled to Russia in search of civilian employment. “I only wanted work suitable for my driving skills,” he said. “Later I met some Indian friends who told me Nepalis were being recruited into the Russian Army and would not be sent to the front lines. That is when I began thinking about joining.”

Although exact figures remain uncertain, independent estimates suggest that hundreds of Nepali citizens have joined Russian forces since the invasion of Ukraine in Feb 2022.

Reports indicate that recruitment has largely targeted migrant workers and students facing financial hardship. Human trafficking networks and informal recruiters are believed to have facilitated much of the recruitment process.

According to available estimates, hundreds of Nepalis have served in the Russian military, with dozens confirmed dead and many others reported missing, wounded or captured. Independent observers believe the actual numbers could be significantly higher because Russia has not publicly disclosed the number of foreign nationals serving in its armed forces. The Government of Nepal has repeatedly stated that Nepali citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign militaries except in countries with longstanding bilateral recruitment agreements.

To discourage further recruitment, Nepal has temporarily suspended labour permits for Russia and Ukraine, tightened visitor visa regulations, expanded no-objection certificate requirements for several countries and arrested individuals suspected of trafficking Nepalis into the Russian military.

Diplomatically, Kathmandu has repeatedly urged Moscow to stop recruiting Nepali citizens, repatriate those serving in the Russian Army, return the bodies of those killed and provide compensation to affected families.

Nepal has also requested Ukraine to release Nepali prisoners of war on humanitarian grounds.

During recent talks between Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Nepal formally requested the release of all Nepali POWs. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian side expressed willingness to continue discussions on the issue.

Ukraine maintains that foreign nationals serving in the Russian Armed Forces are legally considered Russian combatants under international humanitarian law.As prisoners of war, they are detained under the Geneva Conventions and monitored by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organisations.

Because they were captured while serving in the Russian military, Ukrainian authorities argue that their release cannot simply be arranged through direct repatriation to Nepal. Instead, they are generally expected to be released through negotiated prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine unless separate diplomatic arrangements are reached.

Meanwhile, families across Nepal continue waiting for information about relatives who remain missing, imprisoned or serving on the battlefield. Many families have appealed to the government for stronger diplomatic engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv. While Nepal has intensified discussions with both governments, many of those affected say progress remains slow.

For the Nepalis detained in Ukraine, hopes now rest largely on future prisoner exchange agreements between Russia and Ukraine.

Until then, communication with home remains limited to occasional handwritten letters delivered through the International Committee of the Red Cross—brief messages that offer reassurance to families but little certainty about when their loved ones will finally return.