Nepal Bans Citizens from Working in Russia, Ukraine Amid Military Deaths

The move comes after 10 Nepali soldiers were killed and over 100 reported missing, with concerns over people-smuggling and fast-track citizenship offers.

• Nepal has banned its citizens from travelling to Russia or Ukraine for employment after 10 young men were killed and dozens more reported missing while fighting, predominately in the Russian military.
• More than 200 Nepali soldiers are believed to have enlisted in the Russian army since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and more than 100 of them have gone missing.
• People-smugglers have brought young Nepali men into Russia’s war in Ukraine, where many have been offered fast-track citizenship or salaries far larger than they could earn at home.
• Vladimir Putin signed a decree that would speed up a path to citizenship for the hundreds of foreigners who have enlisted in the Russian army, providing an additional incentive to fight.
• The Nepali government had previously urged Russia to return the bodies of at least six soldiers who had died while fighting in the war against Ukraine since February 2022, and demanded that Russia pay compensation to their families.

3 Articles

The Guardian Washington Post Associated Press