For the first time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have captured an Indonesian citizen who was fighting on Russia's side

Ukrainian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region have captured an Indonesian citizen for the first time who was participating in combat operations on Russia’s side. The 49-year-old man came under attack by drones during an assault and managed to reach the positions of Ukrainian defenders.

According to coordinators of the “I Want to Live” project, Russia recruited 283 Indonesian citizens in just nine months of 2026. By comparison, over the previous three years, the total number of mercenaries from that country did not exceed ten.

 

According to the publication, the Russian command sent the 49-year-old native of the island of Java to the Zaporizhzhia region to participate in the war against Ukraine.

During an assault, a group of Russian soldiers came under attack from Ukrainian drones. The Indonesian managed to reach territory controlled by Ukraine, where he was taken prisoner.

This incident indicates that Moscow is increasingly trying to recruit foreigners for the war against Ukraine, seeking reinforcements for its army in Asian and African countries.

The Indonesian government had previously called on Moscow to stop recruiting its citizens into the Russian army. This followed confirmation of the death of an Indonesian man who had been fighting as part of Russian forces. News of his death emerged in October.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang stated that the government had appealed to the Russian side, demanding that it refrain from recruiting Indonesian citizens into military service.

“The Indonesian government has asked the Russian government to take all necessary measures to ensure that no Indonesian is recruited into the Russian army or into any other military position in Russia under any circumstances,” Yvonne Mewengkang noted.

She also emphasized that the recruitment methods bear the hallmarks of human trafficking.

Subsequently, Indonesian law enforcement uncovered a criminal scheme to recruit citizens into the Russian army. According to the investigation, potential mercenaries were offered legal jobs in Russia via social media—in logistics, the construction of fortifications, or border security.

However, upon arrival in Russia, people were forced to sign contracts with the army and were then sent to the front lines.

This was reported by The Guardian, citing the “I Want to Live” project.

Earlier, operators from the 3rd Detachment of the 4th Regiment of the “Ranger” Special Operations Forces captured a Russian soldier without firing a single shot. He was wearing a Ukrainian Armed Forces uniform.

The soldier from the Khmelnytskyi region, who had been a farmer before enlisting, spent 248 days on the front lines in Stepnogorsk and survived four wounds. Despite his hatred for the prisoner, he escorted him through the contact zone, according to the 128th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade “Dyke Pole,” which published the soldier’s story on Facebook.