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Lanka tops South Asian death toll in Russia–Ukraine war

Published

1 month ago

2026/03/7

At least 275 Lankans have died fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Sri Lanka has recorded the highest number of deaths among South Asians who joined the Russian Army to fight against Ukraine, according to a new report by Himal Southasian.Data provided to Himal Southasian and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the official body, responsible for handling POWs and tracking foreign fighters, shows that at least 275 Sri Lankans have died in the conflict.

This figure is significantly higher than the 59 deaths acknowledged by the Sri Lankan government in February 2025.

The dataset, partly obtained from sources within the Russian military, covers the period from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in 2022, to September 2025.

It indicates that a total of 455 individuals from Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who joined Russian forces, have been killed on the battlefield.

Full text of the Himal Southasian report: At least 455 Southasians have been killed fighting for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war, according to data provided to Himal Southasian and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, an official body responsible for handling POWs and tracking foreign fighters.

The data – in part obtained from sources within the Russian military, according to the Coordination Headquarters – covers the period from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to September 2025.

The list of those killed – which includes citizens of Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan – shows casualty figures far higher in some cases than those so far released or acknowledged by governments of the region. The data also names Southasians known to have been recruited into the Russian military from these countries, with a tally of 1923 recruits.

Sri Lanka tops the list of deaths, with at least 275 citizens killed in action out of at least 751 recruited. “The actual number of Sri Lankan nationals recruited into the Russian Army, as well as those killed or missing in action, is likely significantly higher,” the Coordination Headquarters told Himal. The country’s Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, informed the Sri Lankan Parliament last year that 59 Sri Lankans had been killed out of 554 recruited as of January 2025. The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry had not responded to questions from Himal at the time this story was published.

Public information indicates that illicit agents and networks have been recruiting Southasians to fight for the Russian military, often by misleading them with promises of civilian employment. Southasians in the Russian military as well as their families report having promised payments and death benefits delayed, withheld or misappropriated, including via coercion or fraud, sometimes by the fighters’ military superiors.

The data for Nepal shows 852 recruits – the most from any single Southasian country – and 115 deaths, a toll second only to Sri Lanka’s. Figures released in February 2025 by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign affairs put the death toll slightly higher, at 118, and also count 132 missing..Bangladesh ranks third by fatalities, with 34 deaths listed out of 104 recruits.

Reporting by the Associated Press has quoted a police investigator saying 40 Bangladeshis have been killed. India’s tally in the Ukrainian data is 23 killed out of 170 recruits. In December 2025, the Indian government reported 26 deaths and 202 Indian recruits. Five Afghans have been killed out of 18 recruited, and three out of 22 Pakistani recruits have perished. In August 2025, Pakistan’s government denied that there were any Pakistani nationals fighting in the conflict, dismissing allegations to the contrary as “baseless and unfounded”. Six Myanmar nationals are also listed as recruits, with no deaths recorded.

Himal did not receive responses to queries sent to these governments about updated official figures..A spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters told Himal that based on data for 3390 foreign fighters killed, including those from beyond Southasia, “42 percent of them died within the first four months after signing the contract.” There have been numerous reports of Southasians being deployed to the frontlines with little or inadequate training.

Language barriers and a lack of modern fighting equipment have also been cited as contributing to Southasians being killed in action. Russia has recruited more than 24,000 combatants from 44 countries, according to the Coordination Headquarters, with the largest cohort coming from Central Asia. Foreign nationals now account for nearly 6 percent of the total number of Russian Armed Forces POWs in Ukrainian custody, and this share has been increasing since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“In 2025, 2.5 times more foreign nationals were captured than in all previous years combined,” the Coordination Headquarters said. “We do not disclose the exact number of POWs from each country, but we can state that their number is steadily increasing.”.

NAYOMI MAHESHIKA DISSANAYAKE, a 41-year-old mother of two, last heard from her husband, 45-year-old Ulpakada Pathira Arachchilage Mahesh Suranjith Karunanayake, more than seven months ago. Karunanayake boarded a Moscow-bound bus from Bryanka, a Russian-occupied city in eastern Ukraine, on 1 July 2025, and sent his wife his location. He told another relative that Russian military personnel accompanying him were checking his phone and asked them not to send any messages. His whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

Karunanayake, a former soldier in the Sri Lanka Army, had served in the Russian military for a year at the time. Before his disappearance, Dissanayake said, Karunanayake told her that 3.7 million Russian rubles – over USD 47,000 – had been withdrawn from his account by his commander, and that he had filed a complaint to a superior military officer.

Karunanayake had also described the theft to this reporter. The commander did not respond to questions on WhatsApp about Karunanayake’s whereabouts. Himal did not receive responses to questions emailed to Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the number of foreign citizens recruited into the Russian military and the number of Southasians killed, as well as Karunanayake’s disappearance and the alleged theft.

According to his wife, Karunanayake was recruited by an agent in Sri Lanka, who had given assurances that he would not be deployed to the frontline. “He said he was told that he would be sent to areas [already] captured by the Russian military,” she told Himal. “Then he gave money to a local agent. That agent is in hiding now.”

The family relied largely on Suranjith’s pension from the Sri Lanka Army to sustain itself. With no contact from him for seven months, the Sri Lankan government has halted his pension payments, leaving the family in dire financial straits.

War on the Rocks, a defence and strategy analysis platform, has reported that the compensation for Russian soldiers killed in action came to at least 14 million Russian rubles as of mid-2024 – over USD 150,000 at the time. The total compensation promised for foreign fighters killed is 13 million rubles, or USD 160,000, according to recruits and their families who spoke to Himal. Since December 2025, there have been reports of troop bonuses and death benefits being slashed due to growing budget deficits.

The Russian government promises citizenship to foreign citizens who sign military contracts. The Russian Ministry of Defence offers a one-time sign-on bonus to those who join the military. “These [one-time] payments change over time, but testimony from prisoners of war, as well as active servicemen and Russian advertisements, indicates that the sums can range from 1 to 4 million rubles,” the Coordination Headquarters said. The independent media outlet Re:Russia has put the one-time payment in 2024 at around 480,000 rubles, or roughly USD 5000. Yet many fighters are denied payments promised to them. According to the Coordination Headquarters, “Fraud related to these payments is quite common in the Russian Army, as are cases where commanders kill their own soldiers and take their bank cards in order to obtain the contract signing bonus.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions regarding such fraud. Russia has promised to compensate the family members of Sri Lankans killed in action after Sri Lankan parliamentarians raised the issue in Moscow in July 2024, but many bereaved families report that they have not received compensation. Several dozen Sri Lankan widows have travelled to Russia to try and secure payments, but have described the process as lengthy and opaque.

Dissanayake has appealed to several authorities, including Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Employment and the country’s President – who is also the Minister of DefenCe – in an effort to reinstate her husband’s pension. The President’s office responded that her letter had been forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Employment. She has also written to the Russian Embassy in Colombo seeking information about her husband, but has received no response.

Many Sri Lankans who joined the Russian military did so for financial reasons. An economic crisis in 2022 led many to migrate overseas in search of work. Among them were former soldiers, some of them with experience in Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. A significant number of them have signed up with the Russian military.

The Coordination Headquarters said some Southasians are being tortured or coerced into fighting for Russia – an allegation corroborated by media reports – and that roughly a third of foreign POWs say they had been offered civilian rather than military employment. It added, “There are many cases where people under investigation or in detention facilities were forced by Russian police to sign contracts through threats, beatings, or promises of leniency.”

In October 2025, Ukrainian forces captured Sahil Majothi, a 22-year-old from the Indian state of Gujarat, who had gone to Russia to study computer engineering. His mother told BBC Gujarati that he had been falsely accused in a drugs case, and Majothi said in a video released by Ukrainian forces that he had signed up to fight in the Russian Army to escape a seven-year jail sentence.

In September 2025, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, said that Sri Lankans and Nepalis had been coerced into signing contracts to fight for the Russian army, with recruits reporting torture and threats to their lives and those of their families. At least three Tamils from Sri Lanka’s war-affected Northern Province had been trafficked into the Russian Army in this way, a UN working group flagged in a letter in July 2025. This January, an Associated Press investigation found that Bangladeshi workers promised civilian work had signed Russian papers that turned out to be military contracts.

In May 2024, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation arrested four traffickers, including a Russian translator, who used YouTube to recruit Indian youth with the promise of work only to deploy them to the frontlines. Police in Nepal have detained at least 10 people who used TikTok and local networks to funnel Nepalis into the Russian military. In 2024, Sri Lankan police arrested an army major and a sergeant for acting as recruiting agents for Russian mercenary firms, as well as six others accused of helping with logistics. Sri Lankan police did not respond to questions requesting for an update on the status of the investigation. The Sri Lankans recruited were promised non-combat roles but ended up on the frontlines. At least one Bangladeshi citizen living in Moscow has been charged by Bangladeshi police, while an agency called SP Global ceased operations in 2025 after being investigated for trafficking recruits to fight for Russia in the war.

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The Sun is directly overhead Warakapola, Aranayaka, Gampola, Bibile, Inginiyagala, and Akkaraipattu at about 12:12 noon today (08)

Published

21 hours ago

2026/04/8

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from the 05th to 15th of April this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (08th) are Warakapola, Aranayaka, Gampola, Bibile, Inginiyagala, and Akkaraipattu at about 12:12 noon.

News

AKD admits import of substandard coal, blames technicalities and supplier

Published

22 hours ago

2026/04/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

President

… announces temporary relief package

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday acknowledged in Parliament that the import of substandard coal had adversely impacted electricity generation.

“There’s an issue with the coal. That’s true,” the President said, addressing the House.

President Dissanayake maintained that the problem had not arisen from the tender process but from the failure of the supplier to deliver coal that met the required standards. “The issue did not arise from the tender process. It resulted from the supplier’s failure to deliver coal that met the required standards. I would also like to point out that coal is not tested by individuals through simple inspection or personal judgment; it is examined in certified laboratories,” he said.

The President went on to say that coal shipments are tested through certified laboratories before dispatch, and an initial payment of 80 percent was made after receiving laboratory certification confirming that the coal meets stipulated specifications.

The President said the balance 20 percent was released only after a second verification carried out by an Indian laboratory selected for the purpose in 2023. Tests had revealed that three shipments failed to meet the required specifications.

The President added that although some shipments had passed laboratory tests, operational assessments at the power plant indicated that the coal was not performing to the expected standard. As a result, the government had withheld the remaining payments for certain consignments, imposed penalties on some suppliers, and in a few instances suspended even the initial 80 percent payment.

He said the use of substandard coal would increase electricity generation costs as the shortfall would have to be compensated by alternative sources, such as diesel. However, he assured Parliament that the additional costs would be recovered from the coal suppliers and would not be passed on to consumers.

The President also said the government expected to receive the fourth and fifth tranches of financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund by the end of May. He told Parliament that Sri Lanka hoped to reach a staff-level agreement with the IMF by Thursday, which would enable the country to secure about USD 700 million in funding.

Meanwhile, the President announced a temporary increase in cash assistance under the Aswesuma welfare programme to provide relief to low-income households during the April festive season.

He said the government continued to face challenges in accurately identifying eligible beneficiaries but noted that Aswesuma remained the only available framework to determine eligibility. Under the scheme, current benefit categories include payments of Rs. 17,500, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5,000.

For April, the Rs. 17,500 allowance will be increased by Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 25,000, while the Rs. 10,000 payment will rise by Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000. Beneficiaries in the transitional category will receive an additional Rs. 2,500. The temporary increases are expected to cost the Treasury about Rs. 8.5 billion and will apply only for the month of April.

Addressing electricity tariffs, the President said the adjustment that came into effect on April 1 had been determined earlier and was not linked to the present crisis. According to him, the increase for households consuming less than 30 units amounts to about Rs. 15 per month, while other tier increases translate to approximately Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.50 per day.

He said the government had considered three options to manage rising electricity costs: requiring the Ceylon Electricity Board to absorb the losses, transferring the burden entirely to the Treasury, or passing the cost on to consumers. Instead, the government opted for a shared approach involving the State, the public and the national power system operator.

Under this arrangement, consumers using less than 90 units of electricity will receive a subsidy during the next tariff revision. The government has allocated Rs. 5 billion per month for the programme, amounting to Rs. 15 billion over three months. The President said losses in the electricity sector during the same period were estimated at about Rs. 32 billion.

Turning to agriculture, the President outlined measures to stabilise fertiliser supply amid rising global prices. He said the Department of Agriculture currently held about 14,000 metric tonnes of urea imported at the previous price, while private companies also possessed stocks.

Following discussions with fertiliser suppliers, companies had agreed to release all remaining stocks purchased at the old price to Agrarian Service Centres. These quantities, together with government stocks, are expected to be sufficient for two paddy cultivation seasons.

However, fertiliser required for the third season would have to be imported at higher prices. The President said recent offers for urea ranged from USD 680 to USD 850 per metric tonne.

To cushion farmers from price increases, the government has decided to sell fertiliser for the third season at a fixed price of Rs. 10,200 per bag despite the estimated market price ranging between Rs. 13,500 and Rs. 14,000. The Treasury will absorb the difference, amounting to roughly Rs. 3,000 per bag, at a total estimated cost of about Rs. 1.7 billion.

The President also announced increases in fertiliser subsidies. Farmers cultivating paddy will receive Rs. 30,000 per hectare, up from Rs. 25,000, while subsidies for subsidiary crops during the Yala season will increase from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 18,000. Small tea holders will receive a one-time additional payment of Rs. 5,000 per fertiliser bag in addition to the existing Rs. 4,000 subsidy.

He said the expanded fertiliser support programme would cost the government about Rs. 6.5 billion, with an additional Rs. 600 million allocated specifically for fertiliser subsidies.

The President also outlined plans to manage rising energy costs, particularly in the fuel sector. He said the government had considered allowing fuel prices to fully reflect market costs or introducing a subsidy mechanism.

According to current estimates, he said, diesel would exceed Rs. 600 per litre if sold strictly at cost. Instead, the government has decided to maintain the existing tax structure and provide Treasury-funded subsidies.

Under the proposed scheme, diesel will receive a subsidy of up to Rs. 100 per litre, while petrol will receive up to Rs. 20 per litre. Fuel prices will continue to be adjusted based on monthly cost calculations, with the next revision scheduled for May 1.

The subsidy programme is expected to cost around Rs. 20 billion per month and will operate for three months at an estimated total cost of Rs. 60 billion.

In addition, fishermen will receive targeted assistance. Small fishing boats will qualify for an extra Rs. 50 per litre fuel subsidy for up to 625 litres per month, credited directly to bank accounts. This will provide a monthly benefit of Rs. 31,250 per boat.

Multi-day fishing vessels will receive a fuel allowance of Rs. 150,000 per vessel during the three-month subsidy period, the President said.

By Saman Indrajith

News

‘Sri Lanka – China relations: Community with a Shared Future’ launched

Published

23 hours ago

2026/04/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Chinese and Sri Lankan officials at the book launch

The Chinese Embassy in Colombo launched the commemorative publication in connection with the 70 years of Sri Lanka Diplomatic Relations with China titled, “Sri Lanka – China Relations: Community with a Shared Future” on 03 April 2026 in the presence of a large distinguished audience.

Cao Jing, Deputy Director General of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Officials of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Diplomatic Corps, Xu Yan of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, officials of Ministry’s line agencies and state-owned enterprises and several other guests having interests in Sri Lanka participated at the event.

The commemorative publication captures the essence of Sri Lanka’s resilience as a nation by tracing its rich history, civilization and culture. It offers insights into salient features of Sri Lanka that has been recognized for ages as “a land like no other”.

The publication was authored by the distinguished career Ambassador Dr. Ananda Kumarasiri.

In delivering the opening remarks Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe, expressed his appreciation to the author Dr. Ananda Kumarasiri. Recalling the establishment of Diplomatic Relations in 1957, Sri Lankan Ambassador stated that the impressive tapestry of genuine friendship that exists between our two countries since ancient times have grown exponentially.

Ambassador Majintha Jayesinghe expressed the aspiration that this book will present an insightful account of the rich heritage of Sri Lanka’s relations with China. He hoped that the commemorative publications would encourage future generations to look at the shared history and relations with pride and motivate them to further enhance this unique friendship and goodwill to higher vistas of achievements.

In his address, Ambassador, Dr. Ananda Kumarasiri among other important observations, pointed out that there is much scope for Sri Lanka and China to collaborate in a number of fields. In particular, he highlighted that China’s tremendous technological and industrial progress can be harnessed for Sri Lanka to embark into-the development of alternative sources of energy, backward integration of Sri Lanka’s primary resources that would ensure value added exports and also in recycling wastes from various primary resources.