COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will dispatch a high-level delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of nationals reportedly fighting in the war in Ukraine, a top official said on Thursday (May 16).
Rescuers work at the site of Russia n air strikes, amid Russia 's attack on Ukraine, in the village of Lyptsi, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Apr 10, 2024. Social media campaigns via WhatsApp have targeted ex-military personnel with promises of lucrative salaries and promises of citizenship, the Defence Ministry has said, warning its nationals not to be duped.
The campaigns have proved appealing as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades, which has doubled poverty rates from pre-pandemic levels and pushed hundreds of people to migrate. "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," he told reporters.
Sri Lanka's authorities have received 288 complaints from family members of nationals who had left illegally to fight in Ukraine and have arrested seven people, including a retired major general, linked to the human trafficking, according to the island nation's defence ministry.Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne, and a former ambassador to Russia will be among the delegates who will leave for Russia shortly, Balasuriya said.
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