KATHMANDU: A former Maoist combatant from Myagdi, Diamond C, who has been serving in the Russian military, has been promoted to the position of section commander amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Currently deployed on the frontlines, Diamond announced his promotion through social media, saying he had been elevated from junior sergeant and section co-commander to sergeant and section commander.
He described his role in the war as challenging and life-threatening, adding that he was fulfilling his duty despite constant risks. “There is no guarantee of life in the midst of a fierce war, but one must perform according to wartime demands,” he wrote.
Diamond said his decision to join the Russian army stemmed from compulsion rather than choice. “Many of the dreams I saw during the people’s war remain unfulfilled. I had to come to Russia out of necessity, to feed my family,” he wrote.
A veteran of the decade-long Maoist insurgency, Diamond now leads a primary assault section within the Russian military. His involvement in the war, observers say, highlights the struggles of former combatants and many unemployed Nepali youths compelled to seek work abroad, even in conflict zones.
Diamond and his wife, Prerana Sherpali, were both active members of the Maoist movement. After the party’s split, he joined the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Communist Party of Nepal and served as the group’s Myagdi district secretary before leaving for Russia.
Earlier, he had drawn media attention in Nepal after revealing that he had enlisted in the Russian army. At the time, he criticized Nepal’s political leadership for failing to deliver on the promises of the revolution.
“For years we fought for systemic change, but the core nature of the comprador state remained intact,” he wrote. “Today, a handful of elites enjoy power and privilege while thousands of those who sacrificed for change are forced to wander foreign streets just to survive.”
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