News
Govt. delegation yet to leave for Moscow, absence of Ambassador worrisome
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 Foreign Affairs Minister Tharaka Balasuriya on Monday (27) said that they were awaiting the required appointments. The lawmaker said so in response to The Island query.
State Minister Balasuriya told a media briefing at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), on May 16, that instructions were received from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to dispatch a team comprising the Defence Secretary, a Foreign Ministry official and a former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Moscow to look into the matter.
The State Minister estimated the number of Lankan ex-servicemen there between 600 and 800.
State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon told the PMC briefing on the previous day, the ex-servicemen taking up mercenary role had been discussed at the National Security Council chaired by President Wickremesinghe.
Sources asserted that the absence of a Lankan Ambassador in Moscow since May Day couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Professor Janitha A. Liyanage, who had been on her third extension, left Moscow in the last week of April, sources said, adding that the Ambassador’s responsibilities were placed on a relatively junior career diplomat.
The Island learns that Ambassador Liyanage had received three extensions beginning Oct last year after Russia declined to accept Sri Lanka’s nominee and subsequent move to appoint a career diplomat, too, didn’t materialize, as she declared her inability to take up the challenging appointment.
Prof. Liyanage succeeded Prof. M.D. Lamawansa in Oct 2021 after the latter requested to return to Sri Lanka to assume duties as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya. Lamawansa had been President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s first choice as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Moscow. He took up the appointment in January 2020 with a concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Moldova and Republic of Uzbekistan.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry, following consultations with relevant authorities, has decided to send a retired senior career foreign service officer to Moscow as Charge d’affairs. Sources said that an experienced officer was needed, especially against the backdrop of ex-servicemen joining the Russian military. Several of those personnel had been killed and scores believed to be wounded in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with families of the ex-military making representations to the Russian Embassy in Colombo as well as the UN in this regard.
Sources asserted that the delegation, led by Secretary Defence, would go ahead with the planned visit in spite of the appointment of a Charge d’affaires in place of a full time Ambassador.
Others said that the ex-servicemen’s issue could have been addressed successfully much earlier if the government took tangible measures immediately after the media disclosed the secret route to the Ukrainian front. Russia sent in the Army in February 2022 after repeated Ukrainian provocations.
Latest News
Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district
LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.
Latest News
618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.
The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81
100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at 990 safety centers established by the government.

News
Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact
The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.
Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.
Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.
Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.
“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.
The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.
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