Shweta Sharma
Tue, 5 December 2023
Nepal has called on Russia to stop sending its Gurkha soldiers to fight on the frontline in Ukraine after a series of losses sparked anger back home.
The Nepali government said six soldiers serving in the Russian military have died in Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine since February 2022, Nepali prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said.
"The government of Nepal has requested the Russian government to immediately return their bodies and pay compensation to their families," the foreign ministry said late on Monday.
Nepal’s foreign ministry said that diplomatic efforts were underway for the release of one Nepali soldier from the Ukrainian army following his capture while fighting in the Russian army, the statement added.
The Gurkhas have long been known for their bravery and fighting skills on the battlefield, serving in the British and Indian armies under an agreement between the three countries since the independence of India in 1947.
The Himalayan state, which is wedged between India and China, has no such agreement with Russia.
Between 150 and 200 Nepalis are believed to have been working as mercenaries in the Russian army since the start of the war, said Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal‘s ambassador to Moscow, according to The Kathmandu Post.
“We are sending those who come [in] contact [with us] back to Nepal, telling them about the high risks associated with joining the Russian army,” Mr Tuladhar said.
The ambassador said that young Nepalis are being lured to fight in the war with attractive financial offers, and are effectively being trafficked into Russia.
“We have been sending back at least one Nepali national a day. They were all brought to Russia to serve in the army,” he said.
“If the individual does not possess a Nepali passport, we issue a travel document and send him back to Nepal.”
Nepal’s foreign ministry has urged its citizens not to join the army of any third country outside of its existing international agreements, and demanded Moscow return its nationals.
The bodies of two Nepali soldiers, Rupak Karki and Sandip Thapaliya, have already been buried after they were killed around mid-July this year while others are still in the mortuary, the report said.
It comes as Mr Putin has set his sights on boosting his ground troops capacity in Ukraine and signed a decree last week to increase recruitment by nearly 170,000 to reach a total of 1.32 million, as Russia suffers record losses in its 22-month-long war.
Russia’s campaign to attract more voluntary recruits has included advertisements promising cash bonuses, cold calls to eligible men by recruiters, and partnerships with universities and social service agencies to attract students and the unemployed across Russia.
Nepal police arrest 10 for smuggling Gurkhas to fight for Russia in Ukraine
Shweta Sharma
Wed, 6 December 2023 a
Nepal police have arrested 10 people for allegedly sending unemployed youths to Russia for illegal recruitment into Vladimir Putin’s army, amid Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Kathmandu police said the suspects were charging up to $9,000 (£7,143) per person to traffic them to Russia on tourist visas and have them embedded in the Russian army.
The arrests are part of a police campaign to discourage vulnerable men from fighting on the front lines.
Nepal has been compelled to consolidate its diplomatic efforts following the deaths of at least six of its soldiers serving in the Russian military in Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine since February 2022. One Nepali soldier was captured by the Ukrainian army.
It prompted Nepal to call on Russia to stop sending its Gurkha soldiers to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine after a series of losses sparked anger among the families as they waited for the return of the last remains of slain combatants.
Kathmandu district police chief Bhupendra Khatri said: “We are discussing with the government lawyers about the case and will produce them to the court,” Mr Khatri said.
The men were being smuggled into Russia through the UAE, he said. “It is a case of human smuggling ... organised crime,” he added.
Scores of Nepali men have been drawn into the Russia-Ukraine war with mercenaries believed to be fighting on both sides. The young generation from the poor Himalayan nation are being lured into foreign countries for the prospect of a better future and a contract worth about $750 (£595) per month for fighting in the war.
In May, Mr Putin announced that foreigners who serve a year in the Russian military would have the process of their full Russian citizenship expedited.
Hundreds of Nepali soldiers are believed to be fighting on the front lines unofficially. But Nepal’s ambassador to Russia, Milan Raj Tuladhar, puts a conservative number between 150 and 200 of his country’s people embedded in the Russian army since the start of the war.
The country, which has a long tradition of serving in the foreign military, has no agreement with Russia for officially allowing youths to be employed in their army, unlike with the British and Indian armies.
The Nepali government has urged its people to not fight in the war and prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he is aware of people fighting in the conflict.
Nepal’s foreign ministry said diplomatic efforts were underway for the release of a Nepali soldier from Ukraine’s army following his capture while fighting on behalf of Russia.
"The government of Nepal has requested the Russian government to immediately return their bodies and pay compensation to their families," the foreign ministry said late on Monday.
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