Sri Lankan delegation to visit Russia to investigate fate of nationals reportedly fighting in war in Ukraine
Archive photo: Mercenaries from Sri Lanka have died in the war in Ukraine (Getty Images)
Sri Lanka will send a delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of its citizens participating in the war against Ukraine, informs The Guardian.
The country's Ministry of Defense has warned that former military personnel in Sri Lanka are being recruited via WhatsApp, offering them high salaries and Russian citizenship.
"The messages, sent by Sri Lankan nationals, provide a number to agents, who then arrange the documentation and the flights," The Guardian writes.
Journalists pointed out that such offers are attractive to Sri Lankan citizens as the country is currently experiencing an economic crisis.
Sri Lanka conducts its own investigation
Earlier, the Sri Lankan authorities began an investigation following reports that its citizens, mostly with military training, were being recruited to participate in the war against Ukraine.
"The primary challenge lies in determining the exact number of individuals in Russia. As per unofficial sources, approximately 600-800 Sri Lankan individuals are in Russia," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya.
Mercenaries from Sri Lanka fight on the side of Russia
The Russian army faces a shortage of personnel for the war against Ukraine due to the significant losses it suffers on the battlefield. Therefore, the Kremlin is recruiting mercenaries from other countries to bolster its occupation forces.
Recently, the spokesperson for the operational-strategic group of troops Khortytsia, Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn, stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to capture mercenaries from Sri Lanka in the area of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region.
