The promise of significantly higher income lured Nepali men to join the Russian military, but now many families are grappling with uncertainty as their loved ones go missing in the conflict in Ukraine. One such woman, Magar, is desperately seeking information about her husband, who enlisted two years ago.

Magar’s husband, a former driver in Afghanistan earning 50,000 Nepali rupees (US$366) monthly, was promised eight times that amount by the Russian military. When he called to tell Magar, she was shocked – but relieved by what would be a substantial income. Now, she faces the agonizing reality of his disappearance since november 2023.

A Mother’s Search

Leaving her village in Nepal’s Baglung district,Magar journeyed to Kathmandu,hoping to gather information. Her ultimate goal is to travel to Moscow to ascertain her husband’s fate and, if necessary, claim compensation from the Russian government. Fearing she’d lose her chance at compensation, Magar requested only her last name be used.

Despite filing complaints with various government agencies, including the Department of Consular Services, the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, and the National Human Rights Commission, Magar remains in the dark. I want to know if he is alive or dead, she says.

Currently, she awaits government approval to travel to Russia independently, but officials are delaying authorization while attempting to locate other missing Nepalis. Magar is among hundreds reporting missing men who went to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

Government Response and criticism

Leknath Gautam,acting director of the Department of Consular Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,reports that over 200 nepalis have returned from the war. However, many more remain missing. Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed 70 deaths,over 100 missing persons,and at least 343 families seeking government assistance.

Nepal heavily relies on remittances from overseas workers, highlighting the critical failures within the state’s accountability and foreign-labor protection system.

We cannot stop them from going to search for their relatives, Gautam says. It is the state’s duty to assist them.

While the government claims to be aiding the search, critics argue it has failed to take responsibility, leaving vulnerable families to navigate the search alone.

Kritu Bhandari,an opposition leader and member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist),questions the practicality of this approach: How can uneducated women from remote areas,who don’t understand the language,culture or geography,search for their loved ones in Russia?

The Reality of the Conflict

According to Andriy Yusov, press officer at the Main Directorate of Intelligence in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, 830 Nepali citizens are serving or have died within the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He states that 38 are listed as killed in action, and nine are prisoners of war in Ukraine. A Ukrainian Ministry of foreign Affairs official assured that prisoners of war are treated according to international humanitarian law.

Bhandari, who manages a WhatsApp group of 3,000 Nepalis involved in the Russian military, believes the Ukrainian government’s estimates are inaccurate. Many were recruited via TikTok, attracted by videos of Nepali soldiers on the front lines and the promise of Russian citizenship.

While the war began in 2022, Nepali recruitment spiked in 2023. Many traveled to Russia on visitor visas and were afterward recruited into the army.The Nepali government halted labor approvals for Russia in December 2023 to curb the exodus, but dandu raj Ghimire, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security, admits the government cannot prevent individuals from going.

Raju prasad Chapagai, chairperson of Accountability Watch Committee, a human rights institution, argues that if Russia requires Nepali citizens in its army, it must establish diplomatic agreements with Nepal. Krishna Prasad dhakal, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, notes that Nepal only has such agreements with the United Kingdom and India.

Anita Ghimire, director of social research at the Nepal Institute for Social and Environmental Research, emphasizes the need for bilateral agreements to ensure the safety and social security of Nepali citizens serving in foreign militaries.The use of civilians on the front lines during war in another country is not an chance, but a tragedy.

Driven by Desperation

Labor migration expert Keshab Basyal highlights that Russia’s recruitment of Nepalis underscores the lack of job opportunities in Nepal. With limited access to education, health care and social security, he says, many are driven to risk their lives for a better future.

Lokesh Shahi, 36, a retired Nepali Army soldier, joined the Russian military in September 2023 out of desperation. ther are no opportunities to earn in Nepal, he says. I thought, one day I have to die anyway, so I went to Russia.

Escape and the search for Closure

Shahi, deployed to Luhansk and later Kharkiv, described the horrors of war: All I saw were bombs, artillery and dead bodies. It felt like survival was impossible.

He meticulously planned his escape, obtaining a fake death certificate for his mother and requesting leave for the funeral. After a 12-day journey through a forest, he reached Luhansk and, with the Nepal Embassy’s help, returned home. He then delivered news to families in his village about the deaths of their sons.

Magar, and hundreds like her, still seek closure. many have traveled to Kathmandu for assistance, and 15 families, including seven wives, have flown to moscow, steadfast to stay as long as it takes to find answers.