London – While concerns are being raised about the safe release of Bipin Joshi from Kanchanpur, who has been under Hamas control for the past 16 months, the situation of Nepali prisoners of war held by the Ukrainian army seems to be largely ignored by the Nepali government. Seven Nepali citizens, who were recruited into the Russian army and captured during the fighting with Ukraine, are still under the control of Ukrainian forces.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Germany, efforts have been underway to ensure the safe release of these Nepali prisoners of war who have been under Ukrainian control since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Earlier, in March 2023, Ukraine had publicly identified five Nepali nationals in its custody and requested Nepal and other countries to stop the recruitment of their citizens into the Russian military.

According to the embassy, the Nepali prisoners of war in the Ukrainian army include Sujan Suvedi from Chitwan, Vivek Khatri from Bardiya, Siddharth Dhakal from Kavrepalanchok, Bikash Rai from Morang, Pratik Pun from Rolpa, Ishwar Lamichhane from Gorkha, and Madan Kumal from Gorkha.

Sources say that Dr. Shail Rupakheti, the Nepali Ambassador to Germany and the non-resident Nepali Ambassador to Ukraine, plans to raise the issue of rescuing these Nepali prisoners of war when submitting his credentials. A source mentioned, “Nepalis who were recruited into the Russian army are regarded by Ukraine as part of the Russian forces. While this is an issue between Russia and Ukraine, we plan to discuss with President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Nepalis were lured into the Russian military and are innocent.”

Although the date for the meeting with the President has not been set yet, the embassy is actively working through diplomatic channels to arrange it. Ambassador Dr. Rupakheti has played an active role in the rescue of Nepalis in Ukraine, and under his leadership, the Nepali Embassy in Germany has been involved in these efforts. Recently, two Nepali nationals, Furwa Sherpa from Tehrathum and Sher Sambo Sherpa from Dolakha, who had been held in a Ukrainian detention center for nine months, were returned to Nepal.

Since the war began in the last week of February 2022, nearly two dozen Nepalis have lost their lives, and hundreds of others have been stranded in Ukraine for various reasons.