Ukraine's I Want to Live Publishes List of 292 Indonesians Recruited Into Russia's Army

Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project has published a list of 292 citizens of Indonesia recruited to fight for Russia against Ukraine. In a statement accompanying the list, the project says at least 283 Indonesians went to war in the first nine months of 2026, compared with no more than ten in the previous three years. It calls the figure far from complete and expects the real number to be much higher.

See also: An Indonesian taxi driver killed in Russia's army

The project says its lists of foreigners in the Russian armed forces confirm what it wrote earlier this summer, that Russia is stepping up recruitment of fighters in Southeast Asia. It describes a sharp rise in recent months in the number of Indonesians signing contracts with the Russian army. 

What the List Shows

Find the full list below: 

The list gives each man's date of birth, rank and the date he signed his contract. Going through those dates, we found that 283 of the 292 contracts are dated 2026, eight are dated 2025 and one is dated June 21, 2024. The latest contract on the list was signed on September 24, 2026.

Signings grew month by month through 2026, by our count: 2 in January, 6 in February, 7 in March and 12 in April, then 35 in May, 36 in June, 48 in July, 76 in August and 61 in September up to the 24th. August was the busiest month. In all, 137 of the 292 contracts (about 47%) were signed in August and September alone. The largest group signed on a single day was 13 men, on May 23. By our calculation from the dates of birth, the men are between 18 and 56 years old, with a median age of 35.

Indonesia's Ambassador Meets the Coordination Headquarters

The project says Indonesia's Ambassador to Ukraine, Arief Muhammad Basalamah, has already responded to the trend. He met Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. According to the project, the Ukrainian side gave him data on the recruited Indonesians and called on Indonesia's authorities to act against Russia's recruitment.

The project says the ambassador assured Usov that the Indonesian government would look into the issue. It adds that he expressed hope that Indonesia would join the list of countries that have managed to stop Russian illegal recruitment.

A Safe Way Out

Indonesians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.