Nepali recruits fighting for Russia in Ukraine have told of their experience being deceived into fighting as mercenaries in Russia for wages that did not materialise and dangerous deployment with inadequate training. Some said they were recruited via social media platforms including TikTok, which allegedly hosted videos of agents promising wages of USD3,000 and Russian citizenship in exchange for fighting for the Russian army. One migrant was charged USD9,000 for his travel and a tourist visa to Russia. Before fighting, recruits said they had "hardly any training" despite being assured they would participate in three months' training. Speaking from a hospital, one man said his unit sent mostly Nepali, Tajik and Afghan fighters to the frontline like a "shield" for Russian soldiers.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited TikTok to respond to the allegations as well as to outline how the company monitors and removes content from agencies recruiting Nepali workers into the Russian army.