From Burger King to War: A mercenary from Sri Lanka told how he got to Ukraine

Lakshita was captured in Donetsk region. He said that in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation he was with his friends. On the Eastern Front, Ukrainian defenders were captured by a Sri Lanka citizen. He said that he was in the Russian army after he was actually forced to sign the contract after the visa ended. And they promised the Russian passport to him and his family. About it reports "24 Channel". Lakshita came to Russia for earnings. He was interviewed in hospital where he was assisted.

The foreigner has shrapnel wounds of the face and abdominal cavity, as well as eye hematoma. His parents do not know that he is injured. He said that in the Russian Federation he first worked at the meat processing plant and then became a chef in the Burger King cafe in Moscow. But the work visa ended and some people came to him who started threatening him with a prison if he did not sign a contract for a year with the Russian army.

The Russian passports for the lacquer and his parents were promised. As well as high salary. Lakshchi said that he did not understand that he was waiting for him and did not know what was in the documents he had signed. He only knows his mother tongue, a little English and Russian. He was promised that he would help in the kitchen, but as a result he found himself on the front line. He was not paid the promised money: only 243 thousand rubles (about $ 2,700) was paid once.

In Donetsk, the position where the lacquer was attacked by the Ukrainian drone. He was injured, but evacuations from the Russian army did not wait. He was picked up by the Armed Forces fighters. We will remind, on May 16, Reuters reported that Sri Lanka will send a delegation to Russia to help repatriate men who were deceived to war in Ukraine.

The Russian Armed Forces campaigns on social networks through WhatsApp aimed at former servicemen, promising them a high salary and citizenship, the Ministry of Defense Sri Lanka said. This prospect attracts the residents of this state, since Sri Lanka is trying hard to get out of the worst financial crisis for over seven decades, which led to doubling of poverty and forced hundreds of people.

Earlier in May, the Sri Lanka authorities began investigating reports that its citizens who were predominantly underwent military training were sold to participate in the war in Ukraine, the State Foreign Minister Tarak Balasuri said. "The main task is to determine the exact number of persons in Russia. According to unofficial data, there are about 600-800 people from Sri Lanka in Russia," he told reporters.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Island State, the Sri Lanka authorities received 288 complaints from members of families who illegally went to fight in Ukraine, and arrested seven persons, including Major General in retirement, for their involvement in trafficking in human beings. At least 16 Sri Lanka servicemen were killed in Ukraine, the ministry reported. In 2009, Sri Lanka completed the 26-year civil war between separatist Tamil rebels and government forces.