COLOMBO: At least 59 of the 554 Sri Lankans have perished in the Ukraine war fighting for Russia, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament here on Friday.

“According to the information received by January 20 this year, 554 were recruited for the Russian military service,” Herath said.

There was no forcible enlisting of the Sri Lankans by Russia, Herath said adding, Colombo has been continuing its talks with the Russians to delist and send them back.

Sri Lanka also pressed the Russians to discontinue the recruitment of Sri Lankans to fight in the war.

Sri Lankan police last year arrested two retired generals and six others for illegally acting as recruiting agents for Russian mercenary firms.

Local reports said that the hardships faced by common people in the aftermath of the island nation’s economic crisis prompted the ex-soldiers to join in to fight the war for both sides.