Sri Lankans top the tally of deaths among Southasians killed fighting for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war, with at least 275 citizens killed in action according to new data provided by Ukraine. Suranjith Karunanayake (left) served in the Russian military for a year before his disappearance in mid 2025 after alleging theft by his commander.Composite by Manna Phanjoubam; Images courtesy families of Upul Warnasuriya, Suranjith Karunanayake, Ravindu Dananjaya and Vijith Hewarathne, and from Flickr/Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

Revealed: At least 450 Southasians killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine war, Ukraine says

New data from Ukraine shows Sri Lankans top Southasian death toll, accounting for 275 of 455 killed, while Southasian fighters and their families report human trafficking and coercion in recruitment

Saroj Pathirana is a freelance journalist covering Sri Lanka for international publications such as the BBC and Al Jazeera. He is a Pulitzer Ocean Reporting Network Fellow and runs a current-affairs YouTube channel, Sandeshaya by Saroj. Previously, he worked for the BBC World Service’s Sinhala service in London for over 25 years, with roles as a producer, a reporter and an editor.

Published on:

05 Mar 2026, 9:19 am

AT LEAST 450 Southasians have been killed fighting for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war, according to data provided to Himal Southasian and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, an official body responsible for handling POWs and tracking foreign fighters. The data – in part obtained from sources within the Russian military, according to the Coordination Headquarters – covers the period from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to September 2025.

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The list of those killed – which includes citizens of Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan – shows casualty figures far higher in some cases than those so far released or acknowledged by governments of the region. The data also names Southasians known to have been recruited into the Russian military from these countries, with a tally of 1923 recruits.

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Sri Lanka

Russia

Ukraine