COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has asked Russia to allow its former soldiers fighting in Moscow’s war against Ukraine to return home voluntarily, the government said Thursday (Jun 27).
An official delegation held two days of talks in Moscow this week where it called for compensation for 17 Sri Lankans killed in fighting, Colombo’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Sri Lanka’s parliament set up a bipartisan inquiry last month to track at least 2,000 veterans who reportedly enlisted mainly on the Russian side of the war.
At least one former soldier has been killed after joining Ukrainian forces, according to Sri Lankan authorities.
The ministry said two days of talks in Moscow focused on tracking Sri Lankans deployed as soldiers, supporting those reportedly wounded and efforts to track those missing.
State minister for foreign affairs Tharaka Balasuriya, who led the delegation to Moscow, raised the possibility of voluntary returns, early termination of contracts and regularisation of remuneration, the ministry said.
Source link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/sri-lanka-calls-russia-discharge-its-citizens-army-4440061
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Publish date : 2024-06-27 14:44:00
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