Three Sri Lankans serving in Ukrainian military killed

7 December 2023 01:19 pm

Colombo, Dec.7 (Daily Mirror) - Three former members of the Sri Lankan military, including Captain Ranish Hewage, who was the commander of the First Special Forces of The International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, or the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, were killed on Monday in a Russian military attack. 

Reports said that Captain Hewage and his fellow two Sri Lankan former military personnel were killed in Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine during a rescue operation. Captain Hewage is known among the Ukrainian soldiers as 'Dentist' because of his military skills in the battlefield. 

Ranish Hewage retired in 2018 after serving as a captain in the 1st Commando Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. After leaving the army, he joined as an executive officer in a private company in Dubai. 

Accordingly, in March 2022, he came to Ukraine from Dubai and joined the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine. 

Reports also stated that Captain Hewage was given a promotion by the Ukrainian President for his bravery in the battlefield.