Seven Sri Lankan nationals who were allegedly held captive tortured by Russian forces, have been rescued in the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.

Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko claimed the Sri Lankans — who were in Ukraine for higher education and work — were kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and enslaved by Russian forces. Speaking to BBC, MP Tharaka Balasuriya claimed that they were illegal immigrants.

Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne, reported that the Sri Lankans were captured in Kupyansk and then taken to the city of Vovchansk, where they were held until the end of the occupation of its territory on September 10.

Suspilne reported that two of the men had been subject to torture.

A BBC report identified five of the Sri Lankan nationals as Dilujan Paththinajakan, 50 year old Mary Edit Uthajkumar, 35 year old Thinesh Gogenthiran, 25 year old Dilukshan Robertclive, and 40 year old Ainkaranathan Ganesamoorthi. We have not been able to independently verify their identities.

On September 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka requested the Ukrainian government to ascertain the veracity of the news of the rescue of the 07 Sri Lankans.

Our attempts to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Turkey (also serving Ukraine), to further corroborate the story have been unsuccessful.