AMN/ WEB DESK
Sri Lanka has urged Russia to immediately stop sending Lankan ex-military personnel, now serving as mercenaries to the military operations against Ukraine. Sri Lankan State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said that the government has made an official request in this regard till a decision is made after a meeting between Russian diplomats and Lanka’s Defence Ministry. He said that 455 complaints have been received so far concerning Sri Lankans who have been fighting for Russia. So far, 16 Sri Lankans have gone missing while 37 were reported injured, he added.
The country’s security agencies have launched a probe into a human smuggling racket to send ex-soldiers to the Russia-Ukraine war and have arrested several suspects, including a retired army official.
The Lankan government has also made it mandatory to get the Defence Ministry’s clearance for any ex-military men leaving for Russia. A Sri Lankan delegation comprising officials from the Foreign and Defence Ministries is set to visit Moscow from 5-7 June to discuss the matter.