President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered to send  a  delegation to Moscow to investigate the involvement of Sri Lankan nationals in the Russia-Ukraine War. This team will include the Defence Secretary, a Foreign Ministry official, and a former diplomat, as announced by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya.

During a press briefing, Balasuriya revealed the establishment of an emergency hotline by the Ministry of Defense to gather information on Sri Lankans who have traveled to Russia to join the war. State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon reported that at least 16 Sri Lankan military veterans have been killed in the conflict, and an ongoing inquiry has identified 288 retired soldiers participating.

Ruling  party lawmaker Gamini Waleboda mentioned that most had joined the Russian army under false promises of high salaries and non-combat roles. The government is treating these recruitments as human trafficking and has arrested several suspects, including a retired senior military officer, for allegedly facilitating the enlistment.

Sri Lankan authorities are in discussions with both Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministries to locate and safely repatriate their citizens. The government has repeatedly warned its nationals against traveling to the warzone and is enforcing strict penalties against human traffickers.