Kathmandu, Nepal – On a bitterly chilly morning in early January, someplace close to Tokmak metropolis in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia area, Bimal Bhandari* started a dangerous journey to abandon the Russian military he had been serving with. The 32-year-old Nepali nationwide was with one other compatriot who additionally was preventing for the Kremlin, in and in opposition to Ukraine.

The 2 males knew that getting away from the Russians could be a harmful activity, however they concluded that the danger was value it, when weighed in opposition to their possibilities of survival as troopers in Moscow’s savage battle.

Bhandari was in contact with a Nepali agent in Russia by means of a relative. The agent and one other individuals smuggler promised that they may design an escape plan: For $3000 every, the 2 Nepali troopers could be  out. Three days after Bhandari and his buddy shared their location, a person who spoke Hindi got here with a driver and car on the daybreak, picked them up and dropped them at an unknown spot that the traffickers claimed was close to the Russian-Ukraine border.

The person who spoke Hindi instructed them that handlers could be ready to assist them as soon as they crossed over to the “different facet”. So Bhandari and his buddy stomped by means of knee-deep snow in minus 19 levels Celsius (minus 2.2 levels Fahrenheit) temperature for 17km (11 miles) in about seven hours. Famished and chilly on the finish of that journey, they known as the traffickers once more – solely to be instructed to attend for 40 minutes for somebody to choose them up.

It was three hours earlier than a car arrived. There have been no rescuers inside. As a substitute, it had a Russian border patrol group that handcuffed them and took them within the car. They have been jailed for a day, their passports seized earlier than Bhandari was taken to a well being facility, affected by hypothermia.

“It was our one and solely likelihood to flee this brutal battle and we failed,” he instructed Al Jazeera, from his hospital mattress. “I don’t wish to get well – as quickly as I get higher, I’ll be pushed to the entrance line.”

It’s a worry that’s gripping dozens, if not a whole bunch, of Nepali households. Whereas Nepal’s authorities doesn’t have actual numbers of the nation’s nationals preventing as mercenaries for Russia, some analysts consider they might whole as many as one thousand. No less than 12 Nepalis have been killed within the preventing, and 5 others captured by Ukraine.

Nepal’s authorities is negotiating with Russia diplomatically for the repatriation of its residents and the our bodies of the deceased, the households of civilian-turned-mercenaries are shedding persistence. On Tuesday, the households demonstrated outdoors the Russian embassy in Kathmandu, demanding that their kinfolk be despatched again, useless our bodies be repatriated, recent recruitments be halted and compensation be supplied for these killed in fight.

It’s a far cry from the hope and promise of a life in Europe that first drew lots of the recruits to Moscow’s facet.

‘A very good breakthrough’

Atit Chettri, a 25-year-old from Surkhet in western Nepal, had dreamed of a life in Europe. He had his eyes set on Portugal. However he had no pathway to the continent – till final October when he noticed a TikTok video about Nepalis being recruited for the Russian military and posted an inquiry message.

Inside a couple of minutes, he received a direct message from an agent with contact particulars. The agent requested for $9,000 and promised a wage of round $3,000 a month, together with perks and bonuses, and Russian citizenship for him and later for his household.

For Chettri, who was unemployed, this regarded like a ticket to a greater life. He accepted the supply. 4 days later, he had a Russian vacationer visa and a ticket to Moscow by way of Dubai booked for October 21, 2023.

It was Chettri’s first flight to a international land. “The agent had requested me to name him if I had issues on the immigration. The immigration authority stopped me for some time, however let go instantly after I known as my agent,” Chettri instructed Al Jazeera from Ostrykivka, additionally a village close to Tokmak.

Bhandari, who was supplied the same deal, flew to Russia on October 19. He had lived in Kuwait for six years beforehand however by no means managed to save lots of sufficient to raise his household out of poverty. What he earned went into repaying curiosity on loans he had taken to get to Kuwait.

Annoyed, he had returned to Nepal and was working as a tipper truck driver when the prospect to combat for Russia got here alongside. “My household’s financial situation is depressing so I assumed this could be a superb breakthrough” stated Bhandari.

He additionally linked with the traffickers by way of TikTok. They ran a journey company in entrance of the Russian embassy in Kathmandu. On his solution to Moscow by way of Dubai, Bhandari stated he met near 30 Nepalis ready to board the aircraft to hitch the Russian military – some have been travelling from Kathmandu, whereas others have been Nepali migrant staff already within the Center East.

When he landed in Moscow he was obtained by an area agent, additionally Nepali. “I used to be directed by the Kathmandu agent to present him $1,200 upon arrival. He took me to the bathroom on the airport, and I gave him the cash,” stated Bhandari. He was then dropped at a recruitment camp the place he signed a one-year contract to combat as a soldier.

Like Bhandari, 36-year-old Bharat Shah couldn’t resist the supply. In Nepal, he labored as a visitors policeman earlier than leaving for Dubai, the place he earned 2,400 dirhams ($650) a month. So when brokers supplied $3,000 a month preventing for Russia, he agreed.

“I instructed him many occasions to not go to Russia. He stated it was an important alternative to make more cash and later settle there together with his household”, his father Kul Bahadur Shah instructed Al Jazeera over the telephone from Kailali, in western Nepal.

Initially, that “alternative” seemed to be paying off. Shah despatched 250,000 Nepali rupees (round $1,900) again, after going to Russia.

However he was killed in battle on November 26. At dwelling, his spouse should now singlehandedly care for their four-year-old son and a two-month-old daughter whom he by no means noticed.

‘We have been like their defend’

Recruits say they obtained hardly any coaching earlier than being despatched to combat. Whereas the traffickers had assured these civilians of a full-fledged, three-month-long coaching programme, they obtained lower than a month of fight drills within the Rostov area in southwestern Russia bordering Ukraine. “I had solely seen a gun from a distance, I had by no means held it earlier than,” Chettri instructed Al Jazeera.

One other soldier, 34-year-old Ratna Karki*, was injured in battle and is at present in hospital. Based on Karki, officers in his unit largely ship Nepali, Tajik and Afghan fighters to the entrance line. “The Russians simply commanded us from behind. We have been like their defend,” he instructed Al Jazeera over the telephone.

Earlier than Bhandari was deployed to his battalion, he thought he was a part of a backup drive for the Russians as he didn’t have any battle abilities. “They [Russian commanders] even make us go and examine enemy grounds which may be very scary,” stated Bhandari. “I’ve killed so many, or else they’d kill me,” he stated.

“We now have to be on standby, it might be anytime throughout the night time or day. Once they command, we have to go to the battleground,” stated Chettri. “Some days we have now to spend your entire night time in a bunker.”

Not like Bhandari, who was detained throughout his tried escape, Ram Chandra Shrestha was lucky sufficient to get away.

Shrestha, an ex-Nepal Military soldier, and three of his associates paid $2,000 every to human traffickers to get out from Ukraine and cross the border to Russia. He then reached Moscow and travelled to Kathmandu by way of New Delhi in December. “Many extra have tried to flee, however have failed. Now the Russians have additionally tightened their vigilance, therefore it is rather tough to flee,” Shrestha instructed Al Jazeera.

‘A horror’

Three months into the battle, Bhandari has not been paid even as soon as, whereas Chettri has obtained lower than half of what was promised.

Nepali fighters and their households are urging their authorities to step in, so the recruits can get again to their nation.

“We’re in common communication with the Russian authorities, and have requested them for the identify checklist of Nepali recruits, to repatriate them and ship useless our bodies quickly.” Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs instructed Al Jazeera. “We now have additionally urged them to supply compensation to the households of the deceased”. Nonetheless, the Russian authorities has not publicly responded to any of the requests. The Russian embassy in Kathmandu was not obtainable for feedback.

Kul Bahadur Shah has given up on receiving his son’s physique, however he’s nonetheless ready for compensation. “His associates stated we are going to obtain a compensation of no less than $45,000 and in addition his widow and youngsters would obtain residence allow, schooling and state privileges from Russia,” he instructed Al Jazeera.

Again in Ukraine, Bhandari doesn’t even care in regards to the cash anymore, he stated. “I wish to get again dwelling,” he stated. “After I discuss to my household, I say I’m secure, for them to not fear.

“However it’s a horror, I might be useless anytime.”

*Some names have been modified to defend the identities of people anxious about their security.