ECONOMYNEXT – Authorities have received complaints on about 455 Sri Lankans who are in the Russia-Ukraine war front from family members, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said.
“Sri Lanka is working closely with the Government of Russia to repatriate Sri Lankans who are in the front lines. We are optimistic that we will be able to resolve this matter swiftly with close cooperation between both governments.”
The first meeting with Sri Lanka diplomats and Russian officials is to be held today.
“Today in Moscow, there will be a meeting in the Defence Ministry, between the diplomatic mission and defence attaché, with high-ranking military officials,” Russia’s ambassador to Colombo Levan Dzhagaryan said in Colombo in a joint press conference with the state minister.
“That would be the first step, in the continuous efforts to settle the situation.”
Sri Lanka was also planning to send a delegation to meet Russian defense officials.
Returnees have said about 600 to 800 Sri Lankans may be at the warfront working for Russian private military companies.
So far 26 have returned and 14 are ‘missing’, Minister Balasuriya said.
Returnees have said they were promised high salaries and told that they would be camp helpers or guarding captured territory.
Instead, they were sent immediately to the frontline which were killing fields teeming with Ukraine drones.
Some have got into debt to pay agents to go to Russia and are not being paid the full salaries, Minister Balasuriya said.
“Whenever they are getting paid their salaries are getting deducted and some of these people have come and complained to us,” he said.
Several agents including retired senior military officers have been arrested by the Police for trafficking of persons. (Colombo/May30/2024)