Nepali Gurkhas joining Wagner group while eyeing Russian citizenship: Report

Nepali Gurkhas are joining the Russian mercenary group Wagner eyeing Russian citizenship. According to a report by the EurAsian Times on Sunday (June 25), some of the fighters have retired from the Nepali Army. The report said that Nepal has been caught off guard as it does not have any bilateral pacts with Russia, and the Nepalese embassy in Moscow claimed that youngsters are going in their personal capacity. More than a dozen Nepali youths are getting trained in handling weapons and fighting.

On May 16 this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree, simplifying the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for foreigners who joined the Russian military in the ongoing Ukraine war.

Speaking to the EurAsian Times, strategic analyst Major General Binoj Basnyat (retired) from the Nepal Army said, "This is a concerning situation. The Nepal government is not able to do anything about it as they have gone in an individual capacity."

Basnyat said that if Nepalese citizens are part of the military of a sovereign nation, it has to be part of the government's foreign policy, or there has to be a Memorandum of Understanding or a treaty with the other country.

"No such instruments are in place in this case,” the strategic analyst added.

An offer hard to resist

The May 16 decree signed by Putin is hard for Nepali youngsters to resist keeping in mind the unemployment rate in the country. Basnyat said that after finishing their studies, a large number of Nepali youngsters are coming out for employment, but they have not been absorbed.

"The number of youth looking to leave for other countries in search of jobs and opportunities has shot up,” he added.

The major employment opportunities in Nepal are in the informal sector with poor working conditions and wages, the report said.

Videos show Nepalese youths joining Russian Army

For the past few weeks, videos on social media platforms including TikTok and Telegram showed Nepali youngsters joining the Russian Army. There was also news of Nepalese citizens joining the French Legion, but entering Russia is easier than entering Europe.

Earlier, the publication reported that Nepalese Gurkhas won't be joining the Indian Army this year as Kathmandu did not allow the recruitment.

A youth from Nepal's Koshi, who studied at a Russian university, said he had two options after completing his education - either go back to Nepal unemployed or join the Russian army.

The person said that even during the (army) training period, the salary was about 50,000 Nepalese Rupees along with insurance. "After one year, citizenship is also available. If I don’t die in one year, I will live here,” he added.

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