Ex-military men on Russia-Ukraine front: Prez to dispatch team to Moscow

State Foreign Affairs Minister Tharaka Balasuriya yesterday (16) disclosed that a high level delegation would be soon leaving for Moscow to inquire into ex-military personnel serving with Russian Army on Russia-Ukraine front lines. The delegation would be led by Defence Secretary General (retd.) Kamal Gunaratne.

Balasuriya said that they had received instructions in this regard from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the delegation would include foreign ministry representatives and a former Ambassador to Moscow.

The announcement was made at a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) in the wake of families of officers and men who had been missing on foreign soil making representations to the Russian embassy in Colombo, the UN and the ICRC.

Having made representations, the relatives told the media that their loved ones had been deceived by senior military men who arranged for their deployment on foreign soil.

Russia launched large scale operations in February 2022 following repeated provocations according to the Russian media.

State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon briefed the media on Wednesday (15) at the PMC where he said that the National Security Council paid attention to the developing situation. Lawmaker Tennakoon said that several persons, including a senior retired military officer had been taken into custody regarding their alleged involvement in human trafficking.

Military authorities couldn’t provide specific details regarding the deaths and injuries suffered by Sri Lankans serving in the Ukraine war. (SF)