Sri Lanka says 16 citizens killed fighting in Ukraine war
Tragic Losses: 16 Sri Lankans Killed in Ukraine Conflict
Last week, the country launched an investigation into its residents' recruitment for the war.
The deputy defense minister of Sri Lanka announced on Wednesday that at least sixteen mercenaries from the island nation had died while fighting for Russia and Ukraine.
Moscow has been searching the world for additional troops since the invasion of Ukraine began over two years ago, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers.
Since last year, there have been several confirmed deaths in combat involving citizens of both Nepal and India, two of Sri Lanka's regional neighbors. Additionally, soldiers from Nepal have also enlisted to fight.
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Deputy Defense Minister Pramitha Tennakoon announced last week that an investigation into the recruitment of Sri Lankan citizens for the conflict had been launched, and that 288 retired soldiers from the island nation had been identified as having participated in the operation.
“We have confirmed information about 16 who have been killed," he informed reporters in Colombo.
Tennakoon remained mum on the side the troops had fought for.
On Monday, though, lawmaker Gamini Waleboda of the ruling party informed parliament that the vast majority had been enlisted to fight alongside the Russian army.
According to Waleboda, the individuals who enlisted were deceived into thinking they would receive high salaries and non-combatant positions.
Tennakoon cautioned military officers against falling for the recruitment drive, saying that it was run like a human trafficking enterprise and recruiting Sri Lankans.
The foreign ministries of Russia and Ukraine were in contact with the Sri Lankan government in an effort to locate and repatriate any Sri Lankans currently living in those countries.
"This is a delicate issue," Tennakoon stated. "Both Russia and Ukraine are friendly countries to us. Because of the importance of both, we are coordinating with the relevant foreign ministries to ensure the safe return of our citizens.
Relatives' complaints started flowing in last week, when the defense ministry launched its investigation to gather details about individuals who had traveled to both nations to participate in the war effort.
No Sri Lankan citizen should ever go to Russia or Ukraine to fight, the country has warned time and time again.
Despite the fact that Sri Lankans are free to travel wherever they like, many have departed since the country's economy collapsed in the middle of 2022.
Last week, in an alleged attempt to recruit individuals for mercenary companies based in Russia, police detained two former military officers, one of whom was a major general.
A large number of Indian and Nepalese nationals were enlisted by the Russian military in the past year, according to both countries.
Data released by the republic in March indicated that a minimum of nineteen Nepalis had lost their lives in battle.
While Kyiv faces a lack of both manpower and ammunition, the Russian army successfully repelled a counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainians last year and has since advanced.
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