MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara and Gamini Waleboda were invited to a meeting at the defence ministry chaired by president Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (07) to discuss retired Sri Lankan soldiers being used as mercenaries in Russia.
Jayasekara said more than 600 personnel had so far been sent on the promise of jobs in Russia and Ukraine with attractive pay.
Waleboda called for action against a certain group frequenting the Russian embassy in Colombo, who is said to be behind this racket.
Jayasekara said these persons had paid Rs. 1.8 million each after newspaper advertisements promising Rs. two million on arrival and a monthly salary of Rs. 700,000 had lured them.
Fifteen have died so far, but their bodies have not been recovered, he said.
After considering these, the president instructed the defence secretary to get those Sri Lankans repatriated in consultation with the Russian government.
