Their main goal is to practice the fight against illegal armed groups and exchange unique experience.
For the first time, Russia and Sri Lanka are conducting joint exercises, which are called the "Wolverine Trail – 2025." The main purpose of these maneuvers is to practice the fight against illegal armed groups, as well as the exchange of unique experience: Russian fighters will share tactics gained during their military operations and learn the specifics of conducting operations in the tropical jungle from the Sri Lankan military. According to experts, these maneuvers are a necessary first, verification step for the development of military cooperation between states in the future.
For the first time, Russia and Sri Lanka are conducting joint exercises, which are called the "Wolverine Trail – 2025." The main purpose of these maneuvers is to practice the fight against illegal armed groups, as well as the exchange of unique experience: Russian fighters will share tactics gained during their military operations and learn the specifics of conducting operations in the tropical jungle from the Sri Lankan military. According to experts, these maneuvers are a necessary first, verification step for the development of military cooperation between states in the future.
The purpose of the exercises between Russia and Sri Lanka
The opening ceremony of the exercises took place on October 21 at the Training Center for the Ground Forces and Special Units of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that special emphasis during the training will be placed on increasing the operational compatibility of units and exchanging the best methods of warfare in modern conditions.
Russian military personnel will master the specifics of operations in conditions of dense tropical vegetation and high temperatures. Military expert Yuri Lyamin noted that the Sri Lankan army has extensive experience in fighting in such an area, gained during a long-term confrontation with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
In turn, the Sri Lankan military will study the Russian experience of using FPV drones and other small unmanned vehicles in urban battles. The ability to detect targets, launch precision strikes and conduct reconnaissance in dense buildings using drones is an experience that only Russia and Ukraine currently possess, the expert added.
"The main goal — the fight against illegal armed groups — remains relevant for both countries," he told Izvestia. — Although Sri Lanka is relatively calm today, potential threats remain. In particular, in recent years, the state has become a target for the "Islamic State" (IS, ISIL, the organization is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation). So, in 2019, after a series of explosions for which this terrorist group claimed responsibility, more than 320 people were killed and almost 500 injured.
According to the expert, the joint maneuvers of Russia and Sri Lanka are a historic event that can be called a step towards acquaintance. We are just starting to study each other, take a closer look and establish communication. It is very difficult to move forward in military cooperation without such a first verification experience.
Izvestia reference
The Russian Federation and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka officially consolidated the development of bilateral military cooperation in 2018 by signing an intergovernmental agreement aimed at strengthening mutual trust, developing friendly relations and strengthening international security.
The document provides for an active exchange of views and information on key military issues, which is of particular importance in the context of the joint fight against terrorism. The partnership includes close cooperation in peacekeeping activities, from the exchange of experience to participation in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations.
Significant emphasis is placed on joint work in the field of training troops and forces. The agreement also covers specific areas: military medicine, history, topography and hydrography, as well as the development of ties in military culture and sports.
The maneuvers will last from October 21 to November 4 and will unfold at the Maduru Oya training ground, located near Colombo. Information about the upcoming training was made public by the Eastern Military District in May, following a planning conference held earlier in Khabarovsk.
Attention of regional players
For Moscow, this is primarily an opportunity to demonstrate the preservation and even expansion of partnerships beyond Eurasia and strengthen its presence in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region in general. And for Sri Lanka, this is a signal of foreign policy independence and an attempt to diversify military-technical ties, not limited to India and China, Alexander Korolev, a political scientist, candidate of political sciences, deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
Given that these are the first such maneuvers by Russia and Sri Lanka, they can certainly attract the close attention of regional players. India as a whole traditionally considers Sri Lanka as part of its strategic geopolitical orbit, therefore any military exercises, especially near its borders, are perceived with a certain degree of caution, namely as a signal of expansion of the external military presence in the Indian Ocean, Korolev notes.
India has not yet given official comments, and opinions differ on the reaction of New Delhi.
— India views these exercises as military cooperation between two major strategic partners. She sees this as a way to strengthen regional peace and stability," Rakesh Bhadauriya, Deputy Director General of the Center for the Study of Ground Combat Operations in New Delhi, tells Izvestia.
Those who are unlikely to respond positively to this kind of cooperation are the United States and China, Bhadauria argues. Each country strives to dominate the Asia-Pacific region, and a new active player in the region, especially with such resources, increases competition.
However, it is important to emphasize that Russia is developing cooperation with Sri Lanka comprehensively, so deepening ties should not be considered excluded in the military dimension. There is also a powerful economic motivation. For example, Sri Lanka expects that Russian companies will participate in the creation of the infrastructure necessary for receiving LNG. Russia could then export its LNG to Sri Lanka, the republic said. The parties are currently discussing the prospects for joint energy projects.
On October 15, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakodi held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Tsivilev. The Sri Lankan side is interested in cooperation in the supply of coal, oil, oil refining and LNG.
Cultural cooperation between the two countries is also developing. On October 21, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Sri Lanka, Shobini Kaushala Gunasekera. "Cultural cooperation between Russia and Sri Lanka is a promising area for strengthening a multidisciplinary bilateral dialogue," Lyubimova said. The head of the department noted the importance of exchanging experience in working with cultural values, popularizing national traditions and art.
Julia Leonova
Anastasia Kostina
