Ukraine’s I Want to Live project says a 49-year-old man from Java was captured after joining a Russian assault. It says 283 Indonesians were recruited in January–September 2026, compared with no more than 10 over the previous three years.
Ukraine’s state-run I Want to Live project says Ukrainian forces have captured their first Indonesian prisoner of war, a man from Java who had been taken to the Zaporizhzhia region to join a Russian assault.
According to the project, The Guardian reported that the man reached Ukrainian-held territory after his group came under drone attack and was then captured. It says its recruitment records are incomplete and the number of Indonesians involved could be higher.
The project says approximately 283 Indonesians were recruited to fight for Russia against Ukraine in January–September 2026, compared with no more than 10 over the previous three years.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Yvonne Mewengkang, said her government had formally asked Russia through diplomatic channels to prevent Indonesians from being recruited into its military or other military-related positions. She said Indonesia was particularly concerned about practices that could amount to human trafficking.
The request followed an October 27 announcement by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence that an Indonesian serving with Russian forces had died. In a November 1 report, Mewengkang said Indonesia’s embassy in Moscow was checking that person’s identity and status. Russia’s embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s questions about the alleged recruitment.
Indonesian police said they had identified an alleged trafficking syndicate that used social media and messaging apps to offer well-paid jobs in logistics, border security and defense construction. Police said applicants who traveled to Russia were then directed to sign contracts to serve as mercenaries, and some were sent to conflict zones.
The foreign ministers agreed in Paris to increase financial and material support for Ukraine’s energy security, building on an earlier pledge to help the country through winter.
In a November 1 report, I Want to Live described a meeting between Indonesian Ambassador Arief Muhammad Basalamah and Dmytro Usov, the secretary responsible for coordinating the treatment of prisoners of war. Ukrainian officials provided information on Indonesians recruited by Russia and discussed the situation of an Indonesian captive. Ukraine expressed willingness to allow a consular visit, while Basalamah assured the officials of his government’s attention to the issue. The project was established in September 2022 by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War, with support from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and Defense Intelligence, to help active-duty troops, including foreign nationals recruited into Russia’s military, surrender safely and leave the battlefield.
Mewengkang said Indonesia had also asked Russia to exempt it from official foreign military recruitment and expected the request to be implemented effectively and immediately. She advised Indonesians considering overseas jobs to check advertisements through official channels, be wary of unusually attractive offers and avoid signing contracts they do not understand.
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