Five former Sri Lankan soldiers who joined the Russian military and crossed into Ukraine have been detained by Ukrainian authorities and are being held as prisoners of war.
In response to media reports about Sri Lankans joining both Russian and Ukrainian forces, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Turkey, which also represents Sri Lanka in Ukraine, sought clarification.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian authorities informed the embassy that five Sri Lankans were being held as prisoners of war. Additionally, it was reported that three Sri Lankans fighting alongside Ukrainian forces had been killed in action.
Earlier, a Sri Lankan ministerial delegation traveled to Moscow in an effort to negotiate the release of Sri Lankans enlisted with the Russian military. According to State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya, many of these Sri Lankans, primarily retired soldiers, had been misled with promises of high salaries and benefits, including Russian citizenship. Unfortunately, they had signed agreements with Russian defense authorities, complicating their release, and some had even obtained Russian citizenship.
