Manoj Singh Bhatta, a 30-year-old from Melauli Municipality-7, Kanda in Baitadi district, who sold his truck in pursuit of a better life in Europe, has been confirmed dead while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Before leaving Nepal, Bhatta was earning his livelihood as a truck driver. After years of driving other people’s vehicles, he had taken loans and managed to buy his own truck barely two years ago. Relatives say that soon after becoming a truck owner, he grew the ambitions of foreign employment in Europe, hoping to earn better and provide a comfortable life for his family. Driven by this aspiration, he sold his truck and set off for Europe along with a friend.

According to family members, another person from Melauli had also travelled abroad with him. Although Bhatta told his family that he was going to Europe, he never disclosed which country he was heading to.

His brother Ashok Bhatta said Manoj remained in contact with the family for about three months after leaving home, but later went out of touch. Much later, the family learned that he had been recruited into the Russian army. Two years after he left Nepal, the family was shocked by tragic news.

The family’s anxiety deepened after reports emerged last April that Arjun Bhatta of Melauli-9, Asur, who had also joined the Russian army, had been killed. Amid this uncertainty, the Russian Embassy in Nepal contacted Manoj’s family in June and asked his mother to come for a DNA test.

After the DNA sample she provided in July matched, the embassy confirmed only on January 1 that Manoj had already died during combat, according to his brother Ashok.

Following the confirmation of his death, Manoj’s family and relatives have been plunged into deep mourning. As his body could not be brought back, a symbolic cremation was performed using an effigy of kush (holy grass) at the Maharudra Aryaghat in the village on January 4, said ward chair Ramchandra Bhatta.

Manoj was the second among four siblings. He is survived by his parents, wife, and younger brother. His elder sister is married.

The family is also facing severe financial hardship. According to relatives, loans taken to purchase the truck are still unpaid, and Manoj had also borrowed additional money to fund his foreign journey. The loss of the family’s main support has left them struggling both emotionally and economically.

Trapped by agents, sent to Russia

Family members said Manoj had left Nepal two years ago along with Gopi Bista of Melauli-8. During the journey, they met a person in Kathmandu who claimed to send workers abroad.

The agent reportedly took Rs800,000 from each of them, promising to take them to Moscow via Dubai and arrange a lucrative job there. After receiving the money, the agent prepared the required documents and sent them to Moscow.

Relatives said the same agent had sent Arjun Bhatta to Moscow via Dubai seven days earlier. While Manoj told his family he was going to Europe, Arjun had informed his family that he was heading to Poland.

Of the three men, Manoj and Arjun have been killed in the war, while Gopi Bista has managed to return home safely. Bista said they were taken to Moscow via Dubai and recruited into the Russian army. After recruitment, they were sent to a place called Rostov for training under a one-year contract.

“After the training, a separate unit of 48 Nepalis was formed,” Bista said. “Our mobile phones and passports were seized, and we were told to go and fight near the Ukraine border.”

According to him, around 10,000 soldiers, including 48 Nepalis, were deployed in the main combat zone along the border. He added that after separating from Moscow, he never met Arjun again.

Bista said a plan was made to enter Ukraine through gas pipelines coming from Belarus. Under this plan, six people, including himself, were sent through the pipeline to create open access points inside Ukraine. “This was where Manoj and I were separated,” he said. “While returning after completing the assigned task, I met Manoj for the last time inside the pipeline.”

He said he spent nearly a year fighting in the area, often without adequate food. During this period, he repeatedly requested commanders to search for Manoj but received no clear information.

After developing eye problems a year into the deployment, he was sent for a medical check-up. With the help of a Russian soldier, he managed to contact a taxi driver, reach the Nepali embassy in Moscow and eventually return home safely.

Manoj’s death has once again highlighted the growing problem of Nepalis being lured abroad by agents with false promises, only to be drawn into foreign conflicts, leaving families back home devastated by grief and debt.