Indonesia Verifies Reports of Indonesians Allegedly Recruited Into Russian Military

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry is verifying reports that several Indonesian citizens were allegedly recruited into the Russian military. (Dok. Ist)

PEWARTA.CO.ID — Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry is verifying information regarding reports that several Indonesian citizens may have been recruited and involved in the Russian armed forces.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said in Jakarta on Monday, August 31, 2026, that the Indonesian government was reviewing information provided by Ukrainian authorities concerning the alleged involvement of Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

“The Indonesian government is closely examining information provided by Ukrainian authorities regarding the alleged involvement of several Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The Indonesian government is currently verifying the information,” she said.

According to Yvonne, several aspects of the reports still need to be confirmed, including the identities of those involved, their citizenship status, how they were recruited, and the nature of their alleged involvement in the Russian military.

She said Indonesia has legal provisions governing the involvement of Indonesian citizens in the military service of foreign countries, including possible consequences for their citizenship status.

However, those provisions would only be applied based on verified facts and in accordance with established legal procedures.

The Foreign Ministry will also investigate whether the alleged cases involved deception, exploitation, or recruitment through job offers that differed from their actual purpose.

If Indonesian citizens are found to have been victims, the government will take the necessary measures to provide protection, Yvonne said.

“The Indonesian government urges Indonesian citizens to remain cautious about job offers in conflict areas, as well as offers that could potentially involve them in the military activities of foreign countries,” she said.

Yvonne stressed that if the alleged involvement of Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of a foreign country is confirmed, it would constitute individual actions and would not represent the policy or position of the Indonesian government.

“Should the involvement of Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of the foreign country in question be verified, it would constitute an individual action and would not represent the policy or position of the Government of Indonesia,” she said.

Indonesia, she added, remains consistent in calling for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and continues to emphasize the importance of respecting the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

The verification follows the circulation of a social media post by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU), which identified eight Indonesian citizens whom it alleged were serving as Russian soldiers.

The post also included personal information relating to the eight individuals.