Russians recruit and sell Nepal citizens for service in Russian military
Russian military personnel (photo: Getty Images)
Russian intermediaries recruit and sell citizens of Nepal for service in the Russian army and participation in combat actions against Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The report states that on December 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal announced the deaths of six citizens of the country in combat on the side of the Russian army in Ukraine. In light of the situation, the Nepalese government appealed to official Moscow to refrain from recruiting citizens of the country as soldiers, immediately deport all individuals previously recruited by the Russian Ministry of Defense, and return the bodies of the deceased citizens.
The Nepalese publication Kathmandu Post reported on December 5 that the government of the country does not permit its citizens to serve in foreign armed forces, except for India and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal stated that some Nepalese citizens are serving in the Russian army, and there are also reports of Nepalese citizens serving in the Ukrainian army.
At the same time, Nepal's ambassador to Russia, Milan Taj Thuladhar, reported that between 150 and 200 Nepalese individuals are serving in the Russian army as mercenaries.
"Agents lure Nepalese citizens with promises of large sums of money and illegally transport them to Russia, charging fees of up to one million rupees (approximately 12,000 US dollars). Many Nepalese citizens visited Russia on student and tourist visas before joining the Russian army. Our officials are working to repatriate all their citizens to Nepal and discourage citizens from joining foreign armies," noted Milan Taj Thuladhar.
Mercenaries in the Russian army
In 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for foreigners who enlisted in the Russian army.
In October, it became known that Russia had started mass recruitment of mercenaries from Cuba for the war against Ukraine. Foreigners are being used in combat on the Kupiansk front and between Bakhmut and Horlivka.
The Cuban authorities arrested 17 individuals who were enticing young Cuban men to enlist in the Russian army for the war in Ukraine. They could face the death penalty.
On December 5, the Nepalese government reported the deaths of six citizens of the country who served in the Russian army. Kathmandu demands that Moscow refrain from recruiting its citizens into the Russian army and immediately return all Nepalese citizens recruited for the war.
