Ukrainian military forces have captured an Indonesian citizen who fought on the side of Russia for the first time. The man from Java was captured in the Zaporizhzhia region after his group came under attack by drones.
This is reported by the Ukrainian state project "I Want to Live".
According to the project, the 49-year-old Indonesian was transported to the Zaporizhzhia region to participate in the Russian assault. After the drone attack, he was able to reach territory controlled by Ukraine, where he was taken prisoner.
"I Want to Live" reported that in the first nine months of 2026, Russia recruited about 283 Indonesian citizens to participate in the war against Ukraine. In the previous three years, there were no more than ten such cases.
In early November, Indonesia urged Russia not to recruit its citizens into its army. This came after reports of the death in October of an Indonesian serving in the Russian army, writes The Gurdian.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang said the government had asked Moscow to take all measures to ensure that Indonesians were not recruited into the Russian army or into other military-related positions.
Within days, Indonesian police reported the discovery of a human trafficking network that recruited citizens via social media and messengers. They were promised high-paying jobs in logistics, border guarding, and defense construction. However, upon arrival in Russia, people were forced to sign contracts to serve as mercenaries, and some were sent to combat zones.
Russia is also recruiting citizens from other countries to fight in the war. In February, Kenyan intelligence reported that more than a thousand Kenyans had been lured into the Russian army. The recruits also include citizens from Uganda and South Africa.
- The “I Want to Live” project was created in September 2022 with the support of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the Ministry of Defense, and the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine. It helps Russian servicemen and foreigners recruited into the Russian army voluntarily surrender and leave the battlefield.
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