Tracking Sri Lankans in Russia-Ukraine warfront complicated – State Minister

Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya stated that 464 complaints have been received so far with regard to Sri Lankan nationals involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Furthermore, he highlighted the challenge of determining the exact number of Sri Lankans who have traveled to Russia to serve in the warfront as many individuals have taken indirect routes through India or Middle Eastern countries, complicating efforts to track direct departures from Sri Lanka. 

“However, we are currently addressing complaints from 464 individuals,” he stated.

The State Minister confirmed that compensation requests for those killed in the war have been acknowledged. “These individuals, after traveling to Russia, entered into agreements with the security forces to fight alongside the Russian army. Despite claims of unawareness, these agreements are legally binding,” Balasuriya explained.

He also noted the difficulty in contacting about 126 individuals. “This doesn’t necessarily mean they are dead,” he clarified, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to address and resolve the situation.