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Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s negotiations to repatriate hundreds of its nationals fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine have been legally complicated, as most are believed to have applied to Moscow for citizenship.

According to Sri Lanka’s government data, at least 455 retired servicemen have joined the Russian armed forces as mercenaries since the beginning of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The beginning of the war coincided with Sri Lanka being hit by an unprecedented economic crisis and a surge in its nationals seeking employment abroad. But while most of such opportunities were facilitated officially, it was not the case with the soldiers.

“(The) Sri Lankan government had no role to play in this and these people have left the country without any approval from the Sri Lankan government, Defense Ministry or Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment,” Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told Arab News on Tuesday.

Many of the soldiers have been injured or taken prisoner by the Ukrainian military. At least 17 were killed on the frontline.

Their families have been protesting for months, asking Sri Lankan authorities to intervene, repatriate the dead and help negotiate an earlier release for others who had entered legal working agreements with the Russian army.

Two rounds of negotiations have already taken place this year.

“They are Sri Lankan citizens and in view of the pleas from their families, we are trying to negotiate for their safe return,” Sabry said. “We have nothing to do with this conflict, but in the meantime, since they have entered into a legally binding agreement, we need to negotiate and find a way to get them back to Sri Lanka.”

The legal situation has been further complicated as many have reportedly begun the process to gain Russian citizenship.

“According to information provided by the Russian Defense Ministry, about 96 percent of them have applied for Russian citizenship, so it’s a difficult situation for us,” Sabry said.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on its troops, and it has been searching for fighters abroad, including in South Asia.

Sri Lanka’s military is one of the world’s largest per capita. According to World Bank data from 2018, the nation of 22 million people had about 317,000 armed personnel — double that of the UK, whose population is three times bigger.

Those who enlist serve for 20 years before their release, meaning that many who are now retired gained frontline experience during the deadly Sri Lankan Civil War from 1983 to 2009.