Intelligence officers discover body of Nepali mercenary who fought on Russia's side in Donetsk region
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.
"Military intelligence has identified one of the eliminated invaders in Donetsk – Nepali citizen Madan Kumal, born November 8, 1995," the report says.
His story in the Russian army began on October 16, 2023, when he signed a four-year contract in Moscow. Later, like many other Nepalis, he was sent to military unit No. 29328 – a unit where mass desertions of foreign recruits in the Russian army have been repeatedly recorded.
After several weeks of training, Kumal was sent to the front line, where he was essentially forced to acquire combat skills "on the job."
Later, the Nepali was transferred to the 1st rifle platoon of the 2nd rifle company, 3rd rifle battalion of the 87th separate rifle regiment, part of Russia's 51st combined-arms army (unit 34479).
In February 2024, Kumal was offered Russian citizenship. By that time, he already understood where he had ended up and what awaited him – on March 30, he refused, citing his desire to return home.
During his five months of service, his family raised the alarm and joined protests in Nepal demanding the return of mercenaries from Russia. They submitted an official request to the Nepali consul, but they did not manage to bring him back – Kumal died during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions.
For a while, Kumal was "lucky": he was stationed in defensive positions and not involved in assault actions. However, catastrophic losses among Russian infantry eventually forced the command to send him into attack as well.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense warns foreign citizens against traveling to Russia or working there, especially illegally. Such trips can carry a real risk of being sent to an assault unit without proper training and with little chance of survival.
As Ukrinform reported, Russia systematically recruits citizens from African countries to participate in the war against Ukraine, using them as "cannon fodder."
