Kathmandu, Dec 26 (IANS): In a chilling revelation, Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Prakash Saud revealed some 100 Nepalis who joined the Russian army have been reported missing.

"As per the information made available to us by the Russian government, around 100 Nepalis serving in the Russian army are missing and injured," he said in an interview with state news agency, RSS.

With this, the casualties of Nepali nationals in the Russian army is higher than what is reported till now.

Nepal government does not permit its citizens to serve in foreign armies, apart from those of India and the United Kingdom as per two separate treaties.

Nepali nationals, who are taken to Moscow through the nexus of human trafficking, ended up in the Russian army under the pretext of earning huge money. Some individuals involved in human trafficking are arrested by the Nepal Police for illegally sending the citizens to the Russian Army.

The government of Nepal has already announced that at least seven Nepali citizens have been killed while serving in the Russian Army as mercenaries. Russia has opened recruitment for foreign nationals from this May through a decree issued by President Vladimir Putin.

Apart from the deaths of seven people, complaints have been filed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that around 100 people are missing and injured, Saud said, adding that the exact number of Nepalis serving in the Russian Army is yet to be ascertained.

“It is estimated that about 200 Nepali youths who went to Russia for work, study and visit have joined the army. The number should be much higher as the ministry has received complaints that around 100 are missing and injured," he said.

Saud, in his interview, said that the government has made it mandatory to obtain a no-objection certificate for travel to Russia from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and six Gulf countries.