Colombo, At least eight Sri Lankan mercenaries have been killed in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Police gave this information here on Thursday.
He said the mercenaries had joined the Russian and Ukrainian forces after unscrupulous foreign employment agencies misled many Sri Lankans in the name of foreign employment.
"Six of them died in Russia while two died in Ukraine," the CID wing said. Police said the ex-army personnel are from both fronts, working as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war. The result of sending them is a racket." Sri Lanka Police said in a statement.
Police said 60 of the mercenaries were believed to be in Russia and another 2 in Ukraine.
According to the CID, several ex-servicemen were involved in the racket of deceiving the youth in the name of foreign employment and eventually sending them to Ukraine and Russia to forcibly join the armies of the two countries involved in the war. More than two years now.
In a message to ex-servicemen, top Sri Lankan Defense Ministry bureaucrat Kamal Gunaratne said unscrupulous foreign employment agencies and those falling prey to their rackets would be arrested in a tough crackdown.The statement came a day after two former army personnel - a retired major general and a sergeant - were arrested on Wednesday in the north-western region of Kurunegala for their involvement in such a case.
The ministry officially announced in early April that Sri Lankan troops were not deployed to serve in the Ukrainian war.
There have been reports of many Sri Lankan mercenaries being killed in the Ukrainian war since December last year.
Gunaratne said, "We have heard reports that Rs 10-15 lakh are being offered as salary to those going to the front." He said that the scam of sending ex-servicemen to the war front is being done by such agencies. Which are currently being identified.
Gunaratne said it was not possible to obtain details of those killed while working as mercenaries.“They have been promised plots of land in St. Petersburg and the opportunity for families to join them as part of the racket,” Gunaratne said.
He said the mercenaries had joined the Russian and Ukrainian forces after unscrupulous foreign employment agencies misled many Sri Lankans in the name of foreign employment.
"Six of them died in Russia while two died in Ukraine," the CID wing said. Police said the ex-army personnel are from both fronts, working as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war. The result of sending them is a racket." Sri Lanka Police said in a statement.
Police said 60 of the mercenaries were believed to be in Russia and another 2 in Ukraine.
According to the CID, several ex-servicemen were involved in the racket of deceiving the youth in the name of foreign employment and eventually sending them to Ukraine and Russia to forcibly join the armies of the two countries involved in the war. More than two years now.
In a message to ex-servicemen, top Sri Lankan Defense Ministry bureaucrat Kamal Gunaratne said unscrupulous foreign employment agencies and those falling prey to their rackets would be arrested in a tough crackdown.The statement came a day after two former army personnel - a retired major general and a sergeant - were arrested on Wednesday in the north-western region of Kurunegala for their involvement in such a case.
The ministry officially announced in early April that Sri Lankan troops were not deployed to serve in the Ukrainian war.
There have been reports of many Sri Lankan mercenaries being killed in the Ukrainian war since December last year.
Gunaratne said, "We have heard reports that Rs 10-15 lakh are being offered as salary to those going to the front." He said that the scam of sending ex-servicemen to the war front is being done by such agencies. Which are currently being identified.
Gunaratne said it was not possible to obtain details of those killed while working as mercenaries.“They have been promised plots of land in St. Petersburg and the opportunity for families to join them as part of the racket,” Gunaratne said.
