The owner and the manager of a licensed foreign employment agency who were arrested and remanded for allegedly sending Sri Lankans for employment in the Russian army to fight in the Ukraine war, have been further remanded until July 13.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya states that Sri Lanka is working closely with the Government of Russia to repatriate Sri Lankans who are working with the Russian forces.

Russia will now require Sri Lanka s Defence Ministry clearance for visit visas of ex-servicemen, says Foreign Minister Ali Sabry.

Lankan soldiers of fortune ‘trapped’ on Russia-Ukrainian front: By Shamindra Ferdinando A high level delegation that included Secretary Defence Gen. (retd.) Kamal Gunaratne is yet to leave for Moscow two weeks after the government announced the move in response to growing reports of ex-Sri Lankan military personnel taking up assignments with the Russian military. State […]

By Norman Palihawadane The number of persons arrested and detained for involvement in human smuggling facilitating recruitment of former military personnel to serve on the Russia-Ukraine front increased to nine with the police taking into custody a retired Army Major General and his wife, police

Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Iran M. M. Zuhair has questioned the government’s stand on sending workers to Israel amidst growing international condemnation and isolation of the Jewish State over the Gaza genocide. Apropos ‘Labour Minister: Govt. won’t heed demand for severing diplomatic ties with Israel, halt sending workers,’ carried in the May 16 edition […]

by Rajan Philips The attempted assassination of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has sent shivers down western spines. In a rare moment of unity, both Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin condemned the shooting. The identity of the arrested shooter has not been made public, but he is believed to be a 71 year old poet […]

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

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said  that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued directives to send a specialized delegation to Russia to investigate the welfare of Sri Lankans embroiled in the on-going Russia-Ukraine war. According to the state minister, this delegation

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed to send a team comprising the Defence Secretary, a Foreign Ministry official and a former Sri Lankan diplomat to Russia to look into the Sri Lankans who have joined the Russian military in the Ukrainian warfront, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said.

MP Dayasiri Jayasekera informs House: By Saman Indrajith Parliament was yesterday informed that two Indians were recruiting ex-Sri Lankan servicemen to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said the leading operator had identified himself as a lawyer while his brother called

Colombo has demonstrated its own brand of strategic autonomy on issues from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s global footprint By Michael Kugelman Most South Asian governments tend to have nonaligned foreign policies, balancing their relations with major powers. This maximizes their diplomatic

By Shamindra Ferdinando Against the backdrop of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s quite belated (but better late than never) public confirmation of external interventions in Aragalaya, that led to the overthrow of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government in mid-July 2022, former cashiered Flying Officer Keerthi Ratnayake, with a never-say-die attitude even when odds are overwhelmingly stacked ag...

The Defence Ministry has urged all members of Lankan tri-forces not to join Russian or Ukraine military forces through illegal means. In response to foreign media reports regarding the Sri Lankan soldiers killed in the Russia– Ukraine war, the Defence Ministry has said that although information