A group of youths who had attempted to travel to France and Belgium via a visit visa have reportedly been forcefully made to fight in the war against Ukraine by the Russian Military, family members of the youths have alleged.
The mother of one youth revealed that her son had paid a large sum of money to travel to Russia via visit visa and thereafter enter France.
“Upon his arrival in Russia, an Army commander had taken the group and made them stay in an isolated area, after which they had been escorted to his camp. When inquired from the agency, they said this was the normal process and to cooperate with the Russians. Around six youths from Jaffna, including my son, are stranded in Russia,” she said.
She further revealed that the youths had complied with the requirements of the Russians, such as medical checks, unknowing that they were being recruited to fight a war, due to a language barrier.
The woman revealed that the agency that had enabled the travel of the youth has been continuously instructing the youths to comply with the requirements of the Russians, to be able to return to Sri Lanka.
The mother of another youth claims that she has not heard from her son in 12 days, and the last voice message from him indicates he had been sent to a war-front area.
The woman said she was in touch with the agency, which was continuously deceiving the families with false information about the situation of the stranded youths.
Sri Lanka in the past year faced a surge in a number of individuals, including war veterans, being deceitfully sent to fight in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The former government had uncovered human trafficking rackets in Sri Lanka through which several war veterans and individuals had been sent to Russia to fight in mercenary groups in the conflict against Ukraine.
Several retired Army personnel were arrested for their involvement in sending Sri Lankans to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war promising several benefits.
Several of the individuals are reported to have fallen victim to the rackets while attempting to leave the country due to the economic crisis.
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