Ukraine captures first Indonesian prisoner of war amid surge in Russian recruitment

Ukraine says it has captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, amid what it says is a spike in recruitment by Russia from the south-east Asian nation.

The 49-year-old man from Java was taken to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region to take part in a Russian assault, but managed to reach Ukrainian-held territory after the group came under drone attack, according to Ukraine’s state-run I Want to Live project. He was then captured by the Ukrainians.

According to the project, some 283 Indonesians were recruited in the first nine months of this year to fight for Russia against Ukraine. It said recruitment from Indonesia was no more than 10 in the previous three years.

The Russian embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to questions about the alleged recruitment effort but it is not the first time Russia has sought foreign mercenaries for its war effort.

In February, Kenya’s intelligence services reported that more than 1,000 Kenyans had been lured to fight for Russia.

A growing number of people from African countries – including Kenya, Uganda and South Africa – and elsewhere have been lured to the frontline as Russia seeks help to sustain its more than four-year war after invading Ukraine in February 2022.

This month Jakarta urged Moscow to ensure no Indonesians were drafted into its military, following the reported death in October of an Indonesian national serving with the military.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said: “The Indonesian government asked the Russian government to take all necessary steps to ensure that no Indonesians will be recruited into the Russian military or any other military-related position in Russia through any avenues.”

Indonesia, she added, was particularly concerned about recruitment practices that could constitute human trafficking.

Days later, Indonesian police said they had identified a human trafficking syndicate targeting its nationals that used social media and messaging apps to recruit victims.

The posts promised lucrative jobs in logistics, border security and defence construction, but after the applicants travelled to Russia they were directed to sign contracts to serve as mercenaries, with some deployed to conflict zones, police said.

The ‘I Want to Live’ governmental initiative was established in September 2022 by the coordination headquarters for Prisoners of War with support from Ukraine defence ministry and defence intelligence (HUR).

It was designed to allow active-duty troops, including Russian servicemen and foreign nationals recruited into the Russian military, to safely surrender and exit the battlefield.