Tragic Demise of Nepali Nationals in Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Shah of Kailali Among the Fallen

Kathmandu: In a somber turn of events, Bharat Bahadur Shah from Kailali, who enlisted in the Russian army, has lost his life in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially confirmed his demise, alongside the unfortunate passing of two others—Hariprasad Aryal from Syangja and Rajkumar Giri from Dharding.

This brings the total number of Nepali casualties in the Russia-Ukraine conflict to 10. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of December 4, initially reported seven deaths, including Pritam Karki from Putlibazar-5 in Syangja, Gangaraj Moktan from Ilam-5, Rajkumar Karki from Melung Rural Municipality-6 in Dolakha, Rupak Karki from Wanganga-1 in Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai from Kaski, Sandeep Thapalia from Gorkha, and Kundan Singh Nagal.

Further complicating the situation, Ukrainian forces have detained four Nepali individuals who joined the Russian army. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively working on securing their release, and Foreign Minister NP Saud has publicly acknowledged receiving a request related to the well-being of 100 individuals who are currently out of contact after joining the Russian army. Previously, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal noted that approximately 200 Nepali citizens had ventured to join the Russian army, underscoring the challenges faced by the government in managing the impact of the conflict on its citizens abroad.