Гражданином Непала является любой человек, зачатый непалкой и непальцем.
Ukraine War thread.
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How to talk to people who post such bullshit?!
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'Treated like dogs': Russia recruiting thousands of Nepali men to fight in war on Ukraine
Ganesh, 35, told Sky News that Nepali soldiers were treated as cannon fodder and that "once we were sent to Ukraine, we didn't have enough food and were beaten by the Russians".
Around 2,000 Nepali men have been recruited by Russia to fight in its war against Ukraine, Sky News understands.
Driven by poverty, many of the Nepali mercenaries are now desperate to return.
Ganesh, 35, is one of the few recruits lucky enough to have made it home. He spent four and a half months fighting in Donetsk and he says Nepalis were "treated like dogs".
"It was very frightening. It wasn't man to man, bullet to bullet. We were attacked by drones and it was terrifying," he said.
We spoke to him in Kathmandu as he prayed at a temple, relieved but traumatised by his experience on the frontline.
He says soldiers were taken to Avangard training centre, a military academy outside of Moscow, for two weeks.
Ganesh served 10 years in the Indian army, but many others alongside him were young and inexperienced. He describes some as never having held a gun before.
'Thrown into conflict with little support'
After training, he says there was a sharp shift in the way foreign mercenaries were treated - they were suddenly thrown into conflict with very little support.
"For the first two weeks of training, life was good," he says. "But once we were sent to Ukraine, we didn't have enough food and were beaten by the Russians. It was really bad."
Nepali men, Ganesh claims, were cannon fodder in their war. "The original Russian soldiers were behind us. On the frontline it was mercenaries."
He describes a clear pecking order with Russian criminals, Nepalis and Indians ahead of Kremlin troops.
Ganesh saw three Nepali men killed on the battlefield but has heard of many, many more casualties.
Soldiers told Russia was 'full of opportunities'
He says he was struggling to find work and when he went to an agent to see if he could work in Luxembourg, the agent suggested he should go to Russia instead because it was "full of opportunities".
Ganesh then had to take out a loan and pay him one million Nepali Rupees (nearly £6,000) to travel from Moscow via Dubai on a tourist visa.
The average monthly Nepali salary is the equivalent of less than £150. But he was told by the agent he could earn about £1,675 a month if he joined the Kremlin's campaign.
Once in Russia he then had to pay another agent nearly £800 just to be taken to the training camp.
The figure of 2,000 men recruited into the Russian army is based on the testimony of returning soldiers, as well as Russian immigration data.
It has also been cross-referenced with estimates provided by campaigners supporting the families of those still serving or dead.
Many Nepalis have described being given student or tourist visas to get to Russia and the Nepali government is so concerned, that it has taken action.
Nepal has asked for soldiers to be repatriated
It was already illegal for Nepalis to fight for foreign militaries, including Russia's.
But in January this year, the government banned its citizens from travelling to Russia or Ukraine for work and has asked Moscow to repatriate all Nepalis who were recruited.
Superintendent Nawaraj Adhikari told Sky News the police are cracking down on agents - the men who help sort the documents required to cross into Russia and illegally fight its war.
"Police have already arrested 22 suspects," he said. "It's a big, serious problem."
The relatives of more than 150 Nepali mercenaries have filed requests appealing to the consular department after losing contact with their relatives.
And yet, men desperate to escape poverty, continue to make the perilous journey to the battlefield.
'It's not like it looks on TikTok'
Many say they were wooed by watching TikTok videos of happy-looking recruits training in Russia. But Ganesh is urging anyone considering it not to sign up
"I would tell them not to go," he says. "On TikTok you see them with fancy uniforms, with fancy guns. But it's nothing like that."
Getting out of the war is proving treacherous. Ganesh said he tried to flee with six other Nepali men, but was caught and badly beaten by Russian soldiers.
He says he tried a second time to use an agent. "There was a Nepali guy, I contacted him and he said to send me 200,000 rubles (£1,700).
"I did that, then ran away from the barracks and looked around for the taxi he was meant to send but it wasn't there. Then he went out of contact."
Ganesh said many of his fellow Nepalis had tried the same. "I have seen 10 to 15 Nepalis who were wandering around, out of their minds, cheated by agents."
He eventually fled again on foot, sleeping in old buildings, and spending a week in the forest before finally surrendering to the Russian police in Donetsk.
"I realised I could not cross the border and that I wouldn't survive if I stayed here," he says. "I gave myself up and went to the police. I was detained for one-and-a-half months and then they sent me back to Nepal."
Kritu Bhandari, a Kathmandu-based politician and social campaigner, has become the leader of a group of family members of Nepali mercenaries who are calling for their return from Russia.
She says in recent weeks about 700 families have asked her for help in bringing their relatives home. She says she is also aware of 260 mercenaries who are out of contact with their loved ones.
The Nepali government told Sky News 246 of its citizens are fighting for the Russian army currently and that at least 21 have been killed.
But politicians and human rights campaigners in Nepal say those official estimates vastly underestimate the real numbers.
According to the Nepali Foreign Ministry, Russian authorities have reportedly agreed to provide compensation to the victims' families and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has assured his Nepali counterpart that he will address their concerns.
But Moscow has said nothing yet about stopping the recruitment of Nepalis or repatriating the dead.
Sky News asked the Russian Ministry of Defence and the embassy in Nepal to comment on Ganesh's allegations, and to provide the number of Nepali mercenaries in its armed forces. Neither have responded so far.
What is clear is that Nepal is caught in a conflict it has no stake in, driven by many who were trying to escape poverty.
They now look increasingly exposed with no guarantees of a safe return.
https://news.sky.com/story/tre…n-war-on-ukraine-13095184Those stupid fuckers are going on their own free will though. Even though they're deceived of the conditions, they should have some common sense.
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Common sense?
Young lady, do you really believe Russian hire Nepalese sherpa Norgey Tenzings if you understand what i mean when we have Mongols (just kidding)?
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What bloody universe you live in to listen to that Nepalese story? Absolutely insane. Yeah, Russians eat kids for breakfast.
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Those stupid fuckers are going on their own free will though. Even though they're deceived of the conditions, they should have some common sense.
Desperate people do things they might not otherwise do.
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In WarBirds our commander got asked where he is from. Call-sign was Africa. or maybe 1.11 -af- Zimbabwe! No one of us 25th IAP remembered Zimbabwe capital city. South Rhodesia.
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Damn. 25 years + ago. And we still have a good company with guys who covered my six at Telega.
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How Ukrainians Are Destroying Russia's Oil Refining IndustryThere are 37 active oil refineries in Russia. 13 of them were recently put out of commission by Ukrainian drone attacks. 🔴 buymeacoffee.com/INSIDERUSSIA ...www.youtube.com -
QuoteRomanov complained about FPV drones produced by the "Judgement Day" project, one of the main producers of these drones for the russian militants. He says they come with the wrong frequency and are easily intercepted by Ukrainian EW. There were complaints about this earlier but… pic.twitter.com/Kndn0DDcwm
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) March 20, 2024 -
Bilhorod my ass.
Are you completely insane? Bilhorod! Хуй instead of Kiev.
Go learn human language instead of quoting village fools.
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Might Russia run out of big guns?
Its armed forces may be out-shelling the Ukrainians—but they are wearing out their artillery
Russian guns are firing around five times as many shells as Ukraine’s are. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks. On February 17th the invaders seized Avdiivka, a town on the eastern front. They have since taken several nearby villages. In the south Ukrainian soldiers are defending the village of Robotyne with just 20 to 30 shells a day. Russia’s firepower gives it a clear advantage—but does it have enough guns to keep it up?
In February Russia had just under 5,000 artillery pieces in the field, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a think-tank in London. It produces about 50 artillery-gun barrels a year, according to Pavel Luzin of the Center for European Policy Analysis, a think-tank. Ramping up production would be difficult: gun barrels are made with specialist machinery using high-grade steel. At the outbreak of war only two Russian factories were equipped to make them. Few countries export gun barrels and fewer still would sell to Russia: North Korea is a possible source, having already supplied shells. But satellite images suggest that Russia is replacing a large share of the big guns it loses from a stock that is stored in the open air.
At the start of the conflict Russia had around 19,000 artillery pieces in unsheltered yards. But some of those guns have been rusting for decades, making them unusable. Many have been raided for parts over the past two years: gun barrels have frequently been used to replace those worn out by firing thousands of rounds. A study by one open-source intelligence (osint) analyst on X, who goes by Ben on the site, suggests on that basis that just 2,000 self-propelled guns and 2,400 towed artillery pieces could still be used. Those figures are uncertain: it is hard to estimate how many of Russia’s oldest guns, d-1 and m-30 howitzers, which date back to the second world war, can still be used—or how much ammunition Russia has for them. But the dwindling supply of artillery, and of gun barrels in particular, is a clear problem.
It is hard to estimate the rate at which Ukraine is destroying Russian artillery: big guns are usually stationed far from the front lines, making them difficult to count. Ukraine’s armed forces claim to have destroyed more than 10,000, but the number which can be visually confirmed is far lower. Oryx, an osint analysis team in the Netherlands, whose estimates are often reasonably consistent with those of state agencies, has images of around 1,000. Based on the rate at which equipment is being withdrawn from the open-air stock, the osint analyst on X suggests that the Ukrainians have destroyed perhaps 5,500 big guns. Russia is expected to run out of barrels in 2025, says one informed analyst, at which point it will need to rely on rocket artillery, which requires far greater supplies of explosive material.
In the past year Ukraine has become much better at destroying Russian artillery (though the opposite is also true). Its detection systems have improved: counter-battery radar supplied by its allies tracks Russian shells back to their source. A plentiful supply of small kamikaze drones, launched up to 20km from their target, can destroy Russian guns. The invaders could protect their artillery by moving it further back from the front lines, or withdrawing some pieces altogether. But that would hamper their ability to pummel the Ukrainians. For the defenders, that would provide welcome relief.
Might Russia run out of big guns?Its armed forces may be out-shelling the Ukrainians—but they are wearing out their artillerywww.economist.com -
More on Russians invading Russia
Mrs. Girkin
With pain in our hearts, almost every day we read about enemy shelling of the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions. I catch myself with a bitter feeling of recognition - the same thing happened with our Donetsk, when a peaceful city overnight lost its calm, familiar life and found itself at the very forefront of a military conflict.
With all my heart I sympathize with the Belgorod residents, the residents of Russian cities under attack, and I hope for the best. Could this scenario have been avoided? The answer, probably, can only be given by people who understand military strategy.
Igor had envisioned such a development for a long time. From his point of view, with the method of conducting the Northeast Defense that was chosen, the threat to Belgorod and other border cities was inevitable. According to Igor, the enemy took a completely expected strategic step.
This is what Strelkov wrote in June 2023, and this analysis remains relevant today:
“Due to the massive shelling and fighting in the Belgorod region, the Russian government found itself in the position of “a worm caught on a fork.” The enemy “put on its ears” a densely populated and fairly prosperous (by Russian standards) region, and the Kremlin cannot do anything to prevent the Belgorod region has not turned into the same constant battlefield that Donbass has been for 9 years.
After all, if you scrape together reserves (and you will need a lot of them), put together a strike force and try to create a “security zone” on the territory of the Kharkov region (30-40 kilometers deep (at least) - then, firstly, it is not a fact that it will work out (surrender the territories it’s always easier than taking it), secondly, the entire assembled group in the end (no matter what the outcome is - whether successful or not) will “get stuck” in this sector of the front and using it as a reserve will not be possible at all.
And the enemy - that’s all he needs - he has enough “second-rate” units and formations to support the newly formed front line without much strain, without touching the strike reserve corps, ready to rush towards the Sea of Azov.
That is, launching an offensive on the border of the Belgorod region is “a game according to the enemy’s rules” with a corresponding final result. The Russian General Staff and the Kremlin probably understand this.
But simply “tolerating” continuous enemy attacks on the Belgorod region (and then on the Kursk and Bryansk regions) is also not a great solution. The population is shocked and grumbling. The “indigenous” regions of the Russian Federation are already being destroyed, the authority of the authorities is rapidly falling... Something needs to be done. And here - again, an “ambush” - those nationwide events that could allow the command of the RF Armed Forces to simultaneously successfully defend in the south and actively operate on the central front have not been carried out and not even prepared. And even if you start them right now, they will give the first positive effect in two or three months, or even later. And the negative costs (and throughout the entire country, which was promised many times that “there will be no new mobilizations”) will come immediately.
Hence the stupor... “Wherever you throw it, it’s all a wedge.” And all that remains is to “squirm between the teeth of the fork” in the hope of something unknown (“maybe it will blow through” and everything will somehow form on its own). The Kremlin is now simply pretending that “nothing special is happening” - just minor terrorist attacks... and somewhere far away. Well, okay, they’ll be patient - “Donbass has been patient and told you to.”
https://t.me/i_strelkov_2023/1010
https://t.me/strelkovii/6754
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QuoteKremlin-affiliated actors in the pro-Russian Moldovan autonomous region of Gagauzia are invoking narratives that mirror previous Russian claims about Ukraine in the years leading up to Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, likely as part of the Kremlin’s wider hybrid… https://t.co/4aUrWZlcLu pic.twitter.com/bLu7YwjhDg
Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 21, 2024Quote2/ Yevgenia Gutsul, the governor of Gagauzia, stated in an interview with Russian outlet Izvestia published on March 20 that she would like Gagauzia to receive “zashchita” (a word that means both “defense” and “protection”) from Russia so that Gagauzian residents can have the…
Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 21, 2024Quote3/ Gutsul’s claims that the Moldovan government is not adhering to the law on Gagauzia’s special status parallel the Kremlin’s previous accusations that Ukraine did not adhere to the Minsk Agreements’ stipulations on the “special status” for the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR)… pic.twitter.com/xMjgXqkOO2
Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 21, 2024Quote4/ Gutsul’s use of “zashchita” and the fact that both Transnistrian and Gagauzian authorities have invoked narratives that mirror those surrounding the Minsk Agreements in a major Russian publication suggest that the Kremlin is orchestrating a wider effort between pro-Russian…
Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 21, 2024
