Nepali Mercenaries Enlisted by Russian Army, Desert Military Unit in Ukraine Conflict

Nepali mercenaries are being enlisted by the Russian army for war against Ukraine. On October 14, 2023, eight Nepali citizens arrived in Russia, seeking employment. In early November, while in Moscow, they entered into contracts with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, agreeing to join the Northern Military District. Subsequently, they were assigned to a unit within the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation, specifically Military Unit 47084 in North Ossetia. Here are their names, birthdates, ranks, and roles:

• Khadka Chetendra, born on April 29, 1979 - Private, Grenade Launcher.
• Adhikari Yubraj, born on October 6, 1979 - Private, Machine Gunner.
• Bishwakarma Lal Bahadur, born on May 8, 1983 - Private, Senior Rifleman.
• Bishwakarma Tilak Bahadur, born on August 5, 1989 - Private, Machine Gunner.
• Khadka Deepak, born on July 26, 1998 - Private, Grenade Launcher.
• Bhattarai Laxman, born on July 26, 1982 - Private, Machine Gunner.
• Pahadi Jagadish, born on July 22, 1984 - Private, Senior Rifleman.
• Rahapal Sushant Kumar, born on June 17, 1992 - Private, Rifleman.

Upon signing their initial contracts with the RF Armed Forces, each of them received 195,000 rubles. Remarkably, they managed to reach the unit stationed in the Rostov region. However, these individuals decided that it wasn't worth risking their lives. Without even serving two weeks, on the night of November 16-17, 2023, all eight Nepalese escaped from the unit's location. A search was initiated, and they were charged with Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to unauthorized abandonment of a military unit. As of December 1, 2023, they remained elusive, with strong indications that they had already left the territory of the Russian Federation.