Sri Lanka seeks Russia defence financing as Moscow talks focus on military cooperation, helicopter overhauls and equipment procurement.
Sri Lanka seeks Russia defence financing as Colombo renews engagement with a long-standing military partner amid shifting global pressure and procurement constraints.
Ministry of Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha is currently in Moscow on an official visit that highlights Sri Lanka’s continuing defence relationship with Russia.
The visit comes at a time when global alignments are shifting and Western sanctions on Russian defence industries are tightening the space for military procurement and financial transactions.
Thuyacontha arrived in Moscow on 25 May and is scheduled to depart later today after discussions with senior Russian defence officials.
The talks focused on strengthening bilateral military cooperation and exploring financial arrangements, including a possible line of credit.
Such financing is expected to support the overhaul of ageing helicopter fleets and the procurement of essential defence equipment.
He is accompanied on the visit by his wife and a liaison officer from the Sri Lanka Navy.
The discussions come as Sri Lanka continues to maintain a long-standing defence relationship with Russia, historically built on military hardware supplies, technical assistance, and training cooperation dating back to the Soviet era.
In recent decades, Russian-origin platforms have remained central to Sri Lanka’s defence capabilities, especially in aviation and maintenance support.
However, Western sanctions imposed on Russia have increasingly affected global defence supply chains and financial channels.
That has added fresh complexity to procurement and logistics processes for partner countries such as Sri Lanka.
The bilateral discussions in Moscow were also attended by officials from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia.
They included Ambassador Shobini Gunasekara, Counsellor Mihiravi Dissanayake, and Counsellor–Defence Air Commodore Dinesh Kasagala.
In parallel with the Moscow engagement, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) carried out an extensive field visit to the Mannar District on 25 May.
The visit was conducted to inspect lands used by the Sri Lanka Navy under the North Western and North Central Naval Commands.
Senior political representatives also took part in the visit.
They included the Chairman of the Mannar District Coordination Committee, Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development Upali Samarasinghe, and Parliamentarian Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran.
Defence and civil officials also joined the inspection.
During the Mannar visit, the Deputy Minister reviewed ongoing naval operations linked to maritime and coastal security.
Special attention was given to efforts to curb illegal activities and combat the drug menace affecting the region.
He received detailed operational briefings from area commanders and commended the Navy’s performance.
He also issued directives aimed at strengthening operational effectiveness.
The delegation inspected several Navy-held sites across Mullikulam, Silawaturai, Thalaimannar, Wankalapadu, and Pallimunai.
They also engaged with local communities to assess housing conditions, fisheries-related concerns, and wider welfare issues.
Officials noted that these engagements are intended to improve coordination between security forces and civil authorities.
The participation of senior defence officials, naval leadership, and representatives from the Survey and Forest Departments also underscored the integrated nature of the visit.
