Russia has Recruited Up to 15,000 Nepalis to Fight in Ukraine, CNN Reports

The Russian Ministry of Defense has recruited nearly 15,000 citizens from Nepal to participate in the war against Ukraine, CNN reports, citing "multiple sources." This information was also reported by Meduza.

The American broadcaster quotes former Foreign Minister Bimal Rai Paudyal, who claims that currently around 14,000 to 15,000 Nepalis are fighting on the front lines for Russia.

According to CNN, Nepali citizens wishing to join the Russian army are entering Russia on tourist visas, and the Russian government offers them a salary of $2,000 a month along with expedited citizenship.

Nepalese authorities have officially stated that approximately 200 of their citizens are fighting for Russia, with at least 13 reported casualties at the front. Simultaneously, there are reports that around 100 individuals are considered missing, and four others are in Ukrainian captivity.

Mediazona has verified CNN’s data using the FSB border service statistics. They confirm a sharp increase in the number of tourists entering Russia from Nepal, although not as high as CNN's sources suggest. According to the FSB, only 72 Nepali tourists entered Russia in 2022, while the number surged to 1,039 in 2023. The majority arrived in the fourth quarter of 2023, with more than 700 people over three months.

In December 2023, Nepal requested that Russia cease recruiting its citizens for the war. Subsequently, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry insisted that six Nepalis had died in the war in Ukraine. It was later revealed that Nepalese authorities had temporarily suspended issuing work permits to citizens of Russia and Ukraine.