Kathmandu, April 26: This account was a struggle of a Nepali engineer who was forced to join the Russian Army. By profession and education, Mr Krishna Shahi from Athbish-3 of Dailekh district was a civil engineer. He is nearly 24 years of age.
He joined the Russian Army, but managed to escape from Donetsk of Russia, a red zone of Russia-Ukrain war frontline. He has shared his experience in a vivid way to newspolar.com editor Sushil Aryal one month before.
Road to Russia
I left for Russia on November 20, 2023 from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on a one-month visit visa. As an engineer, I was working and supervising the construction works in Chabahil in Kathmandu and Dhading district.
I had two distant brothers from the same Dailekh district. They had flown little earlier to Russia to join in the Russian Army. They posted photographs, videos in social media. It looked like that they were happy to be there in Russia and safe. I called them and inquired about the situation there. They said it’s not that much of risk and convinced me to travel Russia. Both of them went Russia through manpower agent in Kathmandu.
Then, I looked for the agent here in Kathmandu. It was not difficult to contact the agent. Khim Bahadur Sunar was ready to send me. He asked me Rs. 100,000 for the hotel booking in Russia, travel-related preparation and processing. He took my passport, and within one week my visa was ready. At that time, we were three to travel to Russia.
Actually, I was flying to Russia in a bid to enter Europe. We all three were hopeful of entering Europe from Russia. But it was very hard due mainly excessive snow. Our hopes shattered there.
On Friday, November 24, 2023, we reached Moscow via Dubai. The Moscow Immigration was tight and inquired about our purpose of entry in Russia. We had to wait for nearly 11 hours in the immigration. Lastly, our request was accepted and we crossed the immigration channel.
Outside the airport, another agent of Khim Bahadur Sunar was ready to receive us. He was an Indian national. Then he directly took us to a hostel nearby in Moscow. It was five hours drive. It was Saturday night. We stayed there on Sunday as well. He began to say that it’s not possible to enter Europe this season due to heavy snowfall. Instead he began to convince us to join Russian Army. He told us that we could get a monthly salary of 195,000 Rubbles (NRs. 380,000). We accepted his offer lastly. He helped us to open bank card, ID card, mobile SIM card. Then he took us to an army base.
In the army camp, they took our photograph, did X-Ray, and blood tests. We were fit to join the army. After being selected, we were transferred to another location for which we had to travel nearly 5 hours in bus. We stayed there for 15 days. It was a hostel, where every facilities like drinking water, sanitation, housing, heater, bed were available. It was a military training base. We learned to load magazine, and fire the gun. It was my life’s first experience of firing a gun.
Travel to Rostov
Then we were transferred to Rostov. We reached Rostov after 12 hours of travel by bus. There, we were kept in a dark forest. The Russian Army kept us there for five days. It was also an army field training center. We stayed in the army tent, and learned to handling the gun again.
In the sixth day, on the evening, they ordered us to be ready. We had to move for the undisclosed location. We were 30 Nepalese there in the group. We all took an army vehicle/truck and headed to undisclosed location. But later we knew that it was Donetsk area, occupied by Russia.
Travel to Donetsk
We reached Donetsk at night time. We prepared food ourselves. Then we further moved 5 km ahead, and reached a devastated house. It was deserted house, empty due to bombing. Then our group of 30 people divided into three. In our group, we were nearly 10 and a Russian commander. I didn’t know about other groups of friends afterwards.
It was very cold, snow covered everywhere. It was very difficult to walk. We had to dig bunker in the distant of 16 km away. We used to leave 9 am morning and came back 5 pm in the afternoon. For six days, our group prepared one or two bunker in the frontline.
Actually, we were not armymen, neither we had any professional military training. We were fresh, knowing nothing about the warfare. We protested to Russian commander, and upon our request he again sent us in a nearby forest for one week. There we learned firing again. However, it was not sufficient.
Then the Russian commander prepared a plan. We had to travel to the bunker (2 Nepali at one time) and stay there for two days in a rotation basis. It was frontline, and very difficult to survive. Even to reach to bunker, we had to face multiple drone attacks. It was nearly 16 km far from our stay. The army vehicle used to take us 7 km, and then we had to walk. As a rotation, we three (2 Nepali and 1 Russian) went to the frontline. It was night time, dark. To escape the drone attack, we slowly walked past 7 km and reached the bunker.
We stayed there in the bunker for two days as per the order. Due to constant firing and drone attack, we had to stay further there. No one dared to come for replacement. It was difficult to come out from the bunker. Another team also could not arrive as promised. But after 5 days, we managed to return. In that area of frontline, we heard that three Nepali youth and some other Russian were also killed.
I heard and seen such war in the war movie alone.
After seeing such a devastation and continued attacks, we wrote a letter to the Russian commander requesting to send back to Nepal. But they ignored our requests, and refused to fulfill our demand. We had no other option, but to fight in the frontline.
Failed escape from the camp
We contacted an agent in Moscow. His name was Mr Sudan. We paid him 200,000 Rubble. It was 9 pm dark night, me and my friend Bir Bahadur Tamang escaped from the camp. We reached Mariupol. The agent had already booked a hotel room there for which we had to pay 10,000 Rubble per day. But we didn’t have passport, Visa and other travel documents. We stayed in Mariupol for 15 days. Even, we called Nepali Embassy in Moscow to rescue us. But no one heard our requests.
In Mariupol, there was Russia border immigration. We had to cross that channel. But our Russian commander had already informed to the immigration about our escape. The immigration police caught us, beat us. We were put into jail. They took back us to the Donetsk again.
We reached in our battalion at night time again. The Russian commander became furious, and he was very angry. He ordered all the Nepalis to immediately move to the frontline.
Close fight and injury
In the frontline bunker, we fired all our bullets and grinades to the Ukraine army positions. It was close fight, and we had bunkers and trenches within 20 meters apart, nearly face-to-face fight. In my bunker, Ukraine continuously attacked: bullet fire and drone attack. Meanwhile, a drone dropped a tear-gas in my bunker. I could see nothing, and tried to come out. In that moment of life and death, I suffered multiple gun shot. I was severely injured there. The bullet pierced my right hand (3 bullet) and leg (2 bullet). Even I had to face burst of grenade from the drone. Bleeding was everywhere from my body. It was like a bloodbath. My two friends in the bunker, Santosh Gurung and Lal Bahadur Gharti Magar from Nepal, died. I managed to come out of the bunker but no one was ready to rescue. I cried my friends behind (nearly 30 meters back), but they dared not to come. They were also facing same continuous attack. I couldn’t get any help.
With great courage, I decided to crawl, and finally reached the friend’s trench behind. I requested my Russian commander to bring me back for treatment. But he refused as walking in day time was more dangerous. I had no option but to follow the order. For a whole day, I lay down in the trench, hoping for the sunset. For me, it was the longest day in my life. No one believed that I survived.
I cried a lot there. The severe injuries made me cry. At last, one Nepali man from Nepal’s Terai region (Mr Shah was his surname), was ready to rescue me and bring back. The paramedics was 7 km back. It was around 5 pm afternoon, we bagan to walk back. We crossed 3 km distance deceiving the following Ukrainian drones, and slipped inside a road culvert. Then the drone didn’t follow us. After taking some rest, we walked 4 km more, and reached the paramedics. He bandaged my arm and leg, and received first aid. Then a Russian army took me to a army field hospital. In the hospital, they managed to take out the bullets. I didn’t know about the operation. I awoke 4 am in the morning. The hospital referred me to Rostov Hospital for further treatment. I flew to Rostov in a helicopter next day.
Escape from Rostov hospital
I was receiving treatment in Rostov hospital. It was a well equipped hospital. It was already seven days. I talked with a cleaning staff (through sign language because I didn’t understand Russian language) and requested to buy a mobile and sim for me. She was helpful. She bought one mobile phone. Then I began to contact my relative in Moscow, an agent in Moscow and family member (wife Chandrika Khatri) in Nepal. “If I could not escape from this hospital, I will commit suicide,” I warned all. I contacted an agent in Moscow for rescue. He was ready to arrange a taxi for me, but I had to come out from the heavily fortified hospital. Back in Nepal, my wife was desparate. She went to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Department and Russian Embassy, Nepal Police for my rescue. But she failed. Time was running out. Lastly, she was ready to pay heavy money to the Russian agent for my rescue.
It was eighth day in hospital. I used to come in the main entrance of the hospital. I was planning to escape from that entrance. Luckily, one truck was entering the hospital. The security guard began to check the vehicle. In the mean time, I came out of the entrance. I walked nearly 2 km. Nobody knew me or hospital staff followed me. I called the agent to send me a taxi. I sent him my location. We had to pay 4,000 US Dollor (nearly NRs. 5.50 lakh) for the agent. My wife sent that money immediately through hundi. The taxi arrived at the location I shared. It took me to Moscow.
In Moscow, I went straight to Nepali Embassy. They helped me to prepare travel document. My wife had bought plane ticket as well. I flew back Nepal via Dubai. I arrived Nepal on February 26, 2024.
I was not fully recovered. Multiple injuries were still there. So, immediately I was admitted in the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. The doctors carried out X-Ray, Video X-Ray, blood test, dressing and diagnosed multiple smaller particles inside my hand. However, they have advised me to perform physiotherapy instead of operation. I have to visit physiotherapist everyday, and take medicine. It’s already 9 days, I don’t know how long it will take to fully recover. I have already spent Rs. 150,000 for my treatment in Nepal. However, I am happy to reunite with my family back in Kathmandu, and money is nothing.
Expenses
NRs. 7.50 lakh (paid for agent in Kathmandu)
NRs. 1 lakh (processing cost, agent in Kathmandu)
NRs. 10.50 lakh (returning cost, agent+taxi+fare etc)
Total: NRs. 19 lakh
Pay contract
We signed a contract there in Russian Army. We were told that we will get 195,000 Rubble (nearly Rs. 3 lakh) per month as a salary.
However, I lost my mobile, Bank Card, SIM card in the frontline. I don’t know about my bank status. Even I don’t know whether my salary was deposited in the bank. I have no plan to look my bank account there. I have so far received no money.
Photo: Krishna Shahi
