Kathmandu, Jan 6: Nepali citizens serving in the Russian army will now be eligible to obtain Russian citizenship and passports, following a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The decree, announced on Thursday, grants the right to Russian citizenship for foreigners conscripted to serve in the country’s armed forces or other military units during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

While there is no confirmed data on the exact number of Nepalis in the Russian army, unverified reports suggest that over a thousand Nepalis have joined the Russian military. More than half a dozen Nepalis have been confirmed killed during the conflict, although official figures on casualties are not available.

According to Russian state-run television network RT, the Kremlin reported the signing of the order, highlighting that the family members of these foreign nationals will also have the right to obtain Russian citizenship.

Applicants can submit their requests and related documents to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the matter will be considered within one month. In cases requiring additional verification, the period can be extended up to three months.

Alexander Khinstein, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, believes that this step can address the issue of extraditing foreigners who participated in the conflict on behalf of Russia to other countries.

“This will solve the problem of extradition of military operation veterans to other countries and their punishment there. Russia will not extradite its citizens!” Khinstein stated in a telegram.

Since November 2022, foreigners have been allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military. Last month, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted a sevenfold increase in the number of “foreign volunteers” joining the country’s military units compared to the previous year, although he did not disclose the exact figure.

On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry released statistics on foreign mercenaries participating in the Ukraine conflict. The estimates indicate that over 13,500 troops have arrived in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022, with 5,900 mercenaries reported killed and more than 5,600 fleeing the battlefield.