New Delhi, April 5 -- The history of the mercenaries is as old as the history of the war itself. From Carthaginians to the British, many nations relied on mercenary soldiers to make the decisive outcomes on the war front. It may appear bizarre to imagine the impetus behind Sri Lankan ex-servicemen becoming mercenaries in a distant continent as the South Asian country's military lacks continental military experience in large-scale warfare regardless of their previous success in defeating separatist Tamil terrorism and their asymmetrical war tactics.

The situation that encompasses the Ministry of Defense and the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka is perplexing as the soldiers who left the island have joined both Ukrainian and Russian forces...