The Journey of Krishna Bahadur Shahi: From Nepal to a Russian Military Hospital

He didn’t have any documents. Or money. Or even a phone. Krishna Bahadur Shahi, a 24-year-old civil engineer from a village in the Dailekh area of western Nepal, found himself wrapped in bandages, 2,500 miles away from home in the Himalayas, in a Russian military hospital. Ensnared in the shadowy world of human traffickers, he had unknowingly become a foreign fighter for the Russian army in Ukraine.

Mr. Shahi, facing bleak job prospects in his impoverished country, had sought a way out. In a recent interview, he shared his ordeal, recalling his determination to escape the hospital to avoid being sent back to the frontlines where survival seemed unlikely.

Despite his attempts to flee, Mr. Shahi was betrayed by his own smugglers. His desperate plea for a cellphone to contact help was met with deceit, showcasing the harsh reality of his situation.

His parents, millet farmers with limited financial means, could offer little support. The Nepali government has been combating the trafficking of individuals like Mr. Shahi to supply fighters for the Russian military, yet the practice persists.

As more foreign fighters seek a way back home, stories like Mr. Shahi’s shed light on the complex web of exploitation and desperation that lead individuals into perilous situations far from their homelands.