By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

 Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva is currently in Russia on an eight day-long goodwill visit.

 General Silva left for Russia at the invitation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, General of the Army, Oleg Salyukov of the Russian Ministry of Defence.

 Russian Defence Ministry officials, Minister Counsellors and Senior Russian Military Officers extended a warm welcome to General Silva on arrival in Moscow on Saturday.

 During General Shavendra Silva’s stay in the Russian Federation, he is scheduled to lay wreaths at the monument of the ‘Unknown Soldier’ and hold negotiations with his host, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, General of the Army, Oleg Salyukov. He would also visit the Armoury Museum of the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School and meet with its Commandant, Major General Roman Binyukov, Division Commander of the 4th Guards Tank Division in Naro-Fominsk and the Commandant at Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy before he was accompanied to several other places of military and tourist importance.

• During General Shavendra Silva’s stay in the Russian Federation, he is scheduled to lay wreaths at the monument of the ‘Unknown Soldier’ and hold negotiations with his host, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, General of the Army, Oleg Salyukov