News
Sri Lankan mercenaries in Ukraine: FM says govt. has no control over what they do
Russian embassy in Colombo declines to comment
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday (07) said that the government could not do anything about the activities of ex-military officers overseas.Minister Sabry said so in response to The Island query whether the Sri Lankan law prohibited Sri Lankans from joining the armed forces of Ukraine. Three ex-military personnel including a former Special Forces officer serving with what is widely referred to as Ukrainian Foreign Legion aka International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine were killed in a Russian artillery strike early this week.
Asked whether the government could step in to prevent our ex-military men joining Ukrainian Foreign Legion, Minister Sabry said: “They have retired from military and have gone there on their own. As Sri Lankans have the freedom of movement and once they leave the country legally we have very little control over what they do, unless they violated the law of the country where they are residing or absconded after committing a crime.”
The government has no record of ex-military personnel who had volunteered to fight for Ukraine.The Russian embassy in Colombo declined to comment when The Island asked whether the presence of ex-military personnel was brought to the notice of the government.
Foreign media reported that the body of Andrew Ranish Hevage, who held the rank of Captain at the time he retired from Special Forces here has been recovered. The other dead were identified as M. Priyantha, a former petty officer of Sri Lanka Navy and Rodney Jayasinghe, a former member of the Sinha Regiment. According to these reports, Sri Lankans had been making an attempt to recover bodies of Ukrainian soldiers when they were targeted by Russian artillery.
Ukraine has offered USD 600 as monthly salary for deployment behind the front-line, USD 1,200 for high risk sectors and staggering USD 3,300 for combat. Ukraine has also declared additional bonuses for selected units that had been assigned special operations. While those who had been disabled were paid a special payment, the families of fallen members received approximately USD 400,000, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.
The first-ever ‘High-level Round Table on India – Sri Lanka Partnership’ held in Colombo recently explored diverse topics, including the geopolitical context for bilateral relations, the evolution of political ties, interlinked and mutual security, and cultural linkages.
The discussions also delved into a roadmap for the future, focusing on physical and energy connectivity, digital connectivity, trade and investment potential, and strategies for sustainable development without debt dependency. These topics were presented by experts and well-versed researchers in their respective fields, the Indian High Commission spokesperson said.
The event brought together experts and policymakers to discuss key aspects of the bilateral relationship and propose pathways for enhanced cooperation between the two nations.
The event commenced with welcome remarks delivered by the High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, and was moderated by Dr. Ganesh Wignaraja, an eminent economist and trade expert. It saw the participation of representatives from local think tanks and opinion leaders, as well as officers leading relevant wings from the High Commission.
Expatriate Sri Lankan workers remitted over 6.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, which is a 10.1 percent increase compared to 2023, the latest data by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has shown.
In 2023, Sri Lankans remitted around 5.97 billion dollars.
In December 2024, Sri Lankans remitted 613.8 million dollars, compared to 569.7 million dollars in December 2023.
According to data from Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, a total of 312,836 Sri Lankans left the country for overseas jobs in 2024, the highest number of Sri Lankans migrating abroad for employment in the nation’s history.
Sri Lanka earned approximately 3.17 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024, latest statistics from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) shows.
This is a 53.2 percent increase compared to tourism earnings from 2023, which was about 2.07 billion dollars, the data showed.
CBSL data showed that over two million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2024, up 38.1 percent compared to 2023.
The Sri Lankan government is targeting 5 billion dollars in tourism revenue in 2025 by attracting 3 million tourists, tourism officials recently said (RK)
Jekylls and Hydes
Roundtable discussion on Indo-Lankapartnership
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