Foreign Minister NP Saud has said that Russia is ready to compensate the families of Nepalis killed while fighting in its war against Ukraine and necessary arrangements will soon be made to ensure the relief pay.

Talking to the Post from Kampala, Uganda, over the phone on Saturday, the foreign minister said some arrangements will be made between the two sides to ensure compensation for the bereaved families as well as the youths who have been injured in battles.

As of now, 13 Nepali nationals have been killed while fighting on Russia’s behalf. The families of as many as 113 Nepali nationals have approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking the whereabouts of their family members recruited in the Russian army.

It is not known how many Nepali nationals have joined the Russian Army through an individual approach. According to a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early January, Russia provides citizenship to foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine and their families.

Another decree states that the Russian government would pay five million rubles ($68,800) as compensation to the families of the Russian soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine and three million rubles ($41,300) would be given to those injured during the war in compensation. But whether the same amount will be given to foreign recruits is unclear.

“So far as I was told, the compensation amount should be Rs7 million or so,” said Saud. “Initially they had proposed sending family members to Russia to receive the compensation but I told them that would not be feasible.”

Not all family members are able to travel to Russia for various reasons, he reasoned. “So we requested them to provide the amount to the Nepali Embassy in Moscow.”

They will soon find a solution through an understanding with the Russian side, Saud added. On the Russian citizenship offered to the families of those who served in the Russian army, the minister said it is up to the members concerned.

According to the foreign minister, five Nepali nationals have been held captive by the Ukrainian forces, and the government is making diplomatic efforts to secure their release.

The government, in the past, had sent two diplomatic notes to the government of Russia and asked it to stop recruiting Nepali nationals in its army, to repatriate those recruited, provide compensation for deceased recruits, and send their bodies home.

In Kathmandu and Moscow, Nepali authorities have told Russian officials that since Nepal and Russia have had cordial relations for decades, they should have informed Kathmandu about their plan to hire Nepalis to join their fight.

There may be technical difficulties in bringing back the bodies, such as insurance claims, “but we have requested them to repatriate the bodies as soon as possible,” Saud said.

In Kampala, the minister met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich on Friday on the sidelines of the 19th Non-Aligned Summit. The two leaders are said to have discussed several issues and concerns of Nepal.

The Nepali side repeated its request to the Russian side not to recruit Nepali nationals into its army and repatriate those who are currently serving.

“This is the first time we have spoken about our concerns to the highest Russian authority,” said Saud. “He [the Russian deputy minister] has assured us of communicating our concerns to Sergey Lavrov in New York, where they are meeting on January 22.”

The Russian foreign minister is reportedly travelling to New York on January 22. “I will put forth your concerns,” Saud quoted Vasilievich as telling him.

“During my conversation, I found them quite aware of our issues and concerns,” Saud told the Post.

As they have not received dead bodies, family members have not been able to perform the last rite as per their tradition, according to a statement issued by the private secretariat of Minister Saud after the meeting with the Russian deputy foreign minister.

In response, the Russian deputy minister told Saud that necessary arrangements would be made to provide compensation to the deceased’s family as per Russian law, reads the statement issued by the Nepali side.

It is estimated that some 200 Nepali nationals have joined the Russian Army after Russia opened the door for foreigners to take part in its war against Ukraine. In February, it will be two years since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In a bid to stop Nepali nationals from joining Russian and Ukrainian armies, the government has stopped issuing no-objection letters to citizens seeking to take up jobs in the two countries. Nepal Police recently cracked down on some middlemen active in Nepal and some Gulf countries to send Nepali nationals to the neighbours at war.

Published on: 22 January 2024 | The Kathmandu Post