Russia’s mercenary recruiters detained in Nepal

7 December, 2023 Nepali mercenaries in the ranks of the Russian army.

2023. Russia. Photo credits: Yurii Butusov

Police in Nepal have detained ten people on suspicion of illegally recruiting the country's residents into the Russian military. Reuters reported on this with reference to Kathmandu District Police Chief Bhupendra Khatri. According to Khatri, the detainees illegally charged each person up to £9,000 and sent them to Russia on "tourist visas", mainly through the UAE.

They were then recruited into the Russian military. In October of this year, Ukrainian troops captured a Russian mercenary from Nepal in the Avdiyivka direction. Nepal has also asked Russia to pay compensation to the families of Nepalese citizens killed during the hostilities.

The government learned about six Nepalese citizens who served in the Russian military and were killed in the war. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal appealed to the Russian government to immediately return the bodies of the dead.

Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal's ambassador to Moscow, told the publication that between 150 and 200 Nepalis are now mercenaries in the Russian military. "We are sending those who come to our contact back to Nepal, telling them about the high risks associated with joining the Russian military. We have been sending back at least one Nepali national a day.

They were all brought to Russia to serve in the army," the Nepali Ambassador to Russia reported.

A document of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for a mercenary from Nepal who was enlisted in the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment of the Russian Federation. Photo credits: @666_mancer

In October 2023, The New York Times reported on dozens of Nepalese who signed contracts with the Russian army and went to war in Ukraine. Many of them did so because of low wages and unemployment in the country.

The Nepalese government does not allow its citizens to serve in foreign armies, except for the armed forces of India and the United Kingdom.

Nepalese soldiers intending to join the British Army. February 2023. Photo credits: army.mod.uk

In fact, Nepalese soldiers have been serving in the British and Indian armies since India gained independence in 1947, by agreement between the three countries.

There is no such agreement with Russia.