A few months ago, a Ukrainian official posted a video of a man who had been captured while fighting for Russia. The man was neither trained by Russia nor a resident of that country. Yet he had flown over 4,000km to serve in “one of the Russian Airborne Forces brigade”.
Belonging to the landlocked Himalayan state of Nepal, which has a growing population and rising unemployment, Bibek Khatri admits to joining the Russian forces solely for the money.
He blames his decision on financial woes back home, so, I went for it (joining the Russian Army),” Khatri says in the video. He says his friends suggested that he join up as a mercenary. “I wanted to return to my mom as a successful man. So, I joined.” Khatri is not the only one drawn by lucrative offers from Moscow. Nearly 200 Nepalese nationals are believed to be serving in Russian army as mercenaries, Inevitably, the job that comes with a high level of risk.
At least six Nepalese nationals have been killed fighting on frontline in Russia’s war against Ukraine, leaving the govt under pressure from the public to bring back its young men. Nepalese youths being recruited to fight abroad are not just ending up fighting against Ukraine, multiple reports suggest Nepali mercenaries have been seen fighting on behalf of Ukraine against Russia, raising the possibility that they might end up face to face with their own countrymen in a war in which they have no stakes.
While Nepal has for decades been sending young men to serve in the British and Indian Armies through a formal agreement between the three countries, there are also sizable presences of Nepali nationals in other foreign militaries including France and the US. The country has no strategic or bilateral arrangements to send soldiers to fight in these armies. At least 1,000 Nepalese have received American citizenship in the last 5-years by joining US Army, Kathmandu-based Khabarhub, citing 2021 data from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. At least 300 Nepali youths were believed is serving as French Foreign Legionnaires under a special service branch created for foreign nationals to safeguard France’s national interests outside of the country, according to a statement by Nepal’s former ambassador to France Mohan Krishna Srastha in an interview, the Himalayan Times
Factors like a lack of work opportunities at home, and poor pay even for those who do find jobs, are compelling young people to leave the country in search of better opportunities – and taking advantage of the Gurkhas’ famed reputation of being brave fighters.
According to International Labour Organisation, Nepal is a young country, with 63.7 per cent of the total population below the age of 30. The unemployment rate of youths aged 15-29 years is 19.2 per cent, as compared to 2.7 per cent for the whole population. “
Out of 500,000 youths coming onto job market every year, only 80,000 or 100,000 get hired in Nepal,” Binoj Basnyat, a retired Major General in Nepalese Army, told New York Times. “Where would the rest go?”.
Khatri is not the only one being drawn by lucrative offers from Moscow. Nearly 200 Nepalese nationals are believed to be serving in Russian army as mercenaries, Nepal’s ambassador to Russia Milan Raj Tuladhar says in an interview with the taken prisoner by Ukrainian Armed Forces near Avdiivka. He signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and served in one of the Russian Airborne Forces brigades. Kyiv Post
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south...60616.html
![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
with 40,000 soldiers - may not be enough evil arhh.
.
