(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed to send a team comprising the Defence Secretary, a Foreign Ministry official and a former Sri Lankan diplomat to Russia to look into the Sri Lankans who have joined the Russian military in the Ukrainian warfront, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said.
Speaking at a press briefing this morning (16), the state minister said that an emergency hotline number of the Ministry of Defense is currently in operation to collect the information of Sri Lankan nationals who have travelled to Russia to join the war.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said yesterday that at least 16 Sri Lankan military veteran have been killed fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Sri Lanka opened an inquiry last week into the recruitment of its citizens for the conflict that has since identified the participation of 288 retired soldiers from the island nation, he said.
“We have confirmed information about 16 who have been killed,” he told reporters in Colombo.
Tennakoon did not say which side of the conflict the soldiers had been fighting on.
But ruling party lawmaker Gamini Waleboda told parliament on Monday that most had been recruited to fight alongside the Russian army.
Those who joined had been duped with promises of high salaries and falsely told they would be given non-combat roles, Waleboda said.
Tennakoon said the recruitment of Sri Lankans was being treated as a human trafficking enterprise and urged military officers not to fall prey to the recruitment drive.
The Sri Lankan government was also in talks with both the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministries to track down Sri Lankans in the two countries and bring them back safely.
“This is a delicate issue,” Tennakoon said. “We are friends with Russia, we are friends with Ukraine. Both are important for us so we are talking to the foreign ministries to get our people back safely.”
Complaints began pouring in from relatives after the defense ministry established its probe last week to collect information on those who had traveled to both countries to join the war effort.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly warned its citizens against traveling to Russia or Ukraine to join the fighting.
Tennakoon emphasized the stringent enforcement of the law against individuals involved in human trafficking. He highlighted that severe penalties would be imposed on those found guilty, regardless of their social status and standing.
Additionally, the State Minister revealed that a group of suspects, including a retired senior military officer, has been arrested under suspicion of participating in human trafficking. Allegedly, they employed retired army personnel as soldiers in the Russian-Ukraine war. Legal proceedings have commenced against them, he assured.
“They have been promoting human trafficking through social media campaigns, attracting victims with promises of high salaries and other privileges. As a result, individuals have fallen prey to this trafficking in successive waves. The government urges the public to remain vigilant against such manipulative tactics. The public is requested to contact 0112 401 146 if they possess any information about human trafficking,” he added.
