In a video clip shared with The Wire, four Nepali men seen near the Russia-Ukraine war frontline appealed for help from India. The video states that the four men were lured to Russia by visa agents who told them that they would be hired as helpers.
The four men identified themselves as Sanjay, Ram, Santosh, and Kumar Shrestha. “When we arrived here, we were told to go to the frontline to fight in the war. We are facing many problems here. Indian brothers who were with us are being rescued by their government,” Sanjay said in his statement.
He further said that the Nepal government and embassy are not helping them, and they are forced to appeal for help from the Indian government. “We have high hopes that the Indian government will not disappoint us. Nepal and India have good relations. We want to ask for India’s help as it is powerful. The Nepal government is unable to help us. All of the Nepali men here want to go back home,” he added.
According to a report, more than 400 Nepali men have joined the Russian army in Ukraine by promising good salaries of about 300,000 Nepali rupees. According to unofficial estimates, the number of Nepali men who have taken part in the Russian-Ukraine war is more than a thousand.
In December last year, the Nepali police in Kathmandu cracked down on several travel agents and arrested 18 people on charges of human trafficking and forgery.
As per Nepal’s foreign ministry, 12 Nepali men have died in the Russian-Ukraine war, and about 100 went missing or injured in Russia.
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