Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga says that arrangements have been made to launch a tourism business using an aircraft carrying 290 passengers on Saturday.

At the end of the year, 26,000 Russians could be brought to Sri Lanka through the tourism industry and earn $ 40 million in foreign exchange, he explained.

He further said that the allegations that Ukrainian tourists had transmitted corona to Sri Lanka were false and were made by people who were trying to gain political advantage by sabotaging the tourism industry by provoking the people.