Ukraine Intelligence Claims Eight Indonesians Recruited into Russian Army

Jakarta, en.SERU.co.id – Eight Indonesian citizens (WNI) are allegedly recruited into the Russian army through high-paying job offers. The allegation was revealed by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU) based on communication documents related to Indonesian visas. The Indonesian government is still verifying the identities, recruitment process and form of involvement of the eight Indonesians.

As quoted from CNN Indonesia, the Ukrainian intelligence agency FISU claims to have obtained documents regarding at least eight Indonesian citizens recruited into Russian military ranks. According to FISU, the eight Indonesians are aged between 29 and 47 years.

The Indonesians were initially offered work as laborers with high wages and duties not related to combat. There were even promises of obtaining Russian citizenship and various social benefits.

However, FISU said most of those recruited did not know for certain the purpose of the work they were undertaking. A similar recruitment pattern was also found involving citizens of Nepal, Cuba, Kenya and India.

FISU stated that some of them were eventually placed on the front lines without adequate military training. Some were even said to have died in the first few weeks after being on the battlefield.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry Still Verifying

The Indonesian government has not confirmed all the information conveyed by FISU. Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, said the identities and status of the eight Indonesians still need to be ascertained.

“Information regarding the identities, citizenship status, recruitment process and form of involvement of the individuals mentioned still needs to be further ascertained,” Yvonne said.

Yvonne stressed that Indonesia has legal rules related to the involvement of Indonesian citizens in the military service of foreign countries. The government will also investigate the possibility of elements of fraud or exploitation in the recruitment process.

This includes the possibility that Indonesians were recruited through job offers that turned out not to match the actual work. The government ensures it will take protection measures in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

DPR Reveals Alleged Recruitment Through Third Country

Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, said the recruitment of the eight Indonesians is suspected not to have been carried out directly from Indonesia.

“So, we obtained information from our intelligence authorities. The recruitment of soldiers was then carried out by a third-party country,” Dasco said, as reported by Kompas.com on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

The modus is suspected to involve offering jobs such as security unit vacancies or administrative staff. Prospective workers were then drawn with the lure of large incomes.

Russia Denies Recruiting Indonesians

The Russian Embassy in Indonesia denied involvement in recruiting Indonesian citizens to join the Russian armed forces. Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov stressed that the Russian representative office in Indonesia has never carried out recruitment for the Russian military.

“It is acknowledged that there are indeed quite a few foreign citizens in the Russian military. However, the embassy is not involved at all in recruitment. The decision of foreign citizens to join is the personal responsibility of each individual,” he said.

He stated that Russia is ready to provide explanations and cooperate if the Indonesian government needs information from its side.