Indonesia Cracks Down on Russian Army Recruiters: Three Police Cases and a Bid to Reach a Citizen Held in Ukraine

Indonesian government took three steps against Russian army recruitment of Indonesians. On November 11, Jakarta police declared six suspects in a trafficking network that sent at least 23 Indonesians to fight for Russia, and the Foreign Ministry said at a press briefing that it is seeking consular access to an Indonesian detained in Ukraine. On November 12, the national police's Criminal Investigation Agency presented two more recruitment cases.

These steps follow Jakarta's diplomatic request to Moscow after an Indonesian reportedly died in Russian service, and its digital monitoring of recruitment channels.

See also: List of 292 Indonesians who signed contracts with Russia's army

Jakarta Police: 23 Sent, One Dead

Two of the six suspects are foreign nationals and the other four are Indonesians. West Jakarta Sub-regional Metro Police Chief Senior Superintendent Nasriadi told a press conference at the Jakarta Regional Metro Police Headquarters on Wednesday, November 11, that preliminary investigations show at least 23 Indonesians were sent through the network to join the Russian army. Based on family reports, one has been confirmed dead and several have been seriously injured by landmines.

The two foreign suspects are suspected of exploiting economic conditions and local networks to find potential victims. 

Police say the network operated in Jakarta, Medan on the island of Sumatra, Pemalang and Banyumas in Central Java, and Bali, where the suspects allegedly sought out potential victims by offering enticements before arranging their travel abroad. The investigation also prevented the departure of eight Indonesians identified at the airport or through family reports. Nasriadi said the investigation is continuing and includes the possibility that other parties are involved.

National Police: Two More Cases

At a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday, November 12, the national police's Criminal Investigation Agency presented five human trafficking cases, two of them involving recruitment of Indonesians as mercenaries in Russia. The other three concerned migrant workers sent abroad without proper procedures and a mail-order bride scheme. Brigadier General Nurul Azizah, director of the agency's unit for crimes against women and children and human trafficking, said police have zero tolerance for such exploitation.

In the first Russia case, five Indonesians were allegedly recruited through WhatsApp and Telegram with promises of jobs in logistics, security and medical roles at a Russian mining company, a salary of $3,000 and a $10,000 signing bonus. Police say the jobs were allegedly not real and the victims were instead employed as mercenaries. One suspect, identified by the initials MI, is suspected of responsibility for the recruitment and of receiving $1,000 in profit per recruit through a cryptocurrency wallet.

In the second, a network allegedly recruited Indonesians through TikTok, Facebook and Instagram with a $35,000 joining bonus, a $3,000 monthly salary and free travel. Two suspects, identified by the initials IG and HS, have been declared and detained. Of seven Indonesians recruited, four were sent to Russia and three were prevented from leaving.

Nurul said police will keep investigating who recruited, financed and arranged the travel of the victims, who received the profits and how the money flowed. Police warned the public against job offers abroad with fantastic pay spread on social media, and Sub-Directorate head Yolanda Evalyn Sebayang said offers to serve as foreign soldiers can amount to trafficking if the recruitment involves deception and exploits economic vulnerability. The suspects in the five cases face charges under Indonesia's 2007 anti-trafficking law, the article said.

Foreign Ministry: Access to an Indonesian Held in Ukraine

Asked at the briefing about an Indonesian who fought as a mercenary for Russia and was captured in Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said the ministry has information that Ukrainian authorities detained one Indonesian, identified by the initials AS. The Indonesian embassy in Kyiv is seeking consular access to him for further verification, she said, and the government will coordinate with the parties involved to protect him under the applicable law. She did not give his name. We reported earlier that Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project says the first Indonesian taken prisoner in Ukraine is Sukamto Ayok.

Mewengkang repeated that Indonesia has formally asked Russia through diplomatic channels to take the steps needed to stop recruiting Indonesians into military service or other military formations, and that it continues to coordinate closely with Russia to prevent a repeat. She did not describe a Russian reply. She urged Indonesians to verify job offers abroad, beware of unusually high pay and not sign contracts they do not understand.

On Indonesians who ask to be brought home from foreign military service, Heni Hamidah, a ministry director, said the embassies in Kyiv and Moscow will work with local and Indonesian authorities to check whether the men are bound by contracts, and will examine the contracts they signed, so that repatriation breaks local rules as little as possible. She said the embassies will put the protection of Indonesians first.

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.