Kathmandu, May 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' said on Tuesday that his government has been constantly making high-level diplomatic efforts for the safe repatriation of Nepalese citizens serving in the Russian army in its war against Ukraine.

At least 19 Nepalese youths have died while serving in the Russian Army while fighting on the side of Russia in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

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According to media reports, more than 600 Nepalese youths have joined the Russian army.

"The Office of the Prime Minister is committed to addressing your demand," Prime Minister Prachanda said here while interacting with members of a campaign to save the lives of Nepalese serving in the Russian Army.

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"The government has been constantly making diplomatic efforts (to bring them back),” he said, adding that “the initiative has been taken through the diplomatic note."

The Prime Minister said that he had made phone calls to the Nepalis who were in the war zone and discussion was underway continuously through diplomatic channels about their condition.

The families of Nepalis serving in the Russian Army staged a sit-in in Kathmandu for the past few days, demanding to bring them back from the war zone. The sit-in was put off after the PM's office expressed commitment to address their demands.

According to the commitment, Prachanda on Tuesday met with the family members and pledged to bring back the Nepalis serving in the Russian Army.

A day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha claimed that the government has made all efforts for the rescue and repatriation of Nepalese nationals working in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Shrestha, who is also the Foreign Minister, said talks are being held with the Russian government on issues such as the number of Nepalis working in the Russian Army, information on their status, repatriation of the bodies of the deceased, compensation to be provided to the families of the victims and safe return of the Nepalis recruited in the Russian Army.

He said several Nepalis have been captured by the Ukrainian Army and scores have been killed, reiterating that the government was making all the diplomatic efforts for their rescue and safe return to Nepal.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)