Ukraine reports first Indonesian prisoner of war
Kyiv says an Indonesian man serving with Russian forces was captured after being recruited for construction work.
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Ukraine says it has captured an Indonesian man who was fighting on Russia’s side in the war, the first such case it has reported. The man says he was lured to Russia with the promise of construction work; that account has not yet been independently verified.
The Ukrainian state organisation I Want to Live announced that the prisoner is 49 years old and comes from the Indonesian island of Java. According to the organisation, he was sent to the front after accepting an offer of work in Russia.
The man is said to have fought in the Zaporizhzhia region. After his unit came under fire, he reportedly reached an area under Ukrainian control and was captured. Details about the circumstances of his surrender have not been confirmed by an independent source.
Ukraine says the man has been identified as Sukamto Ayok. Ukraine’s coordination organisation for prisoners of war said that contact with the Indonesian embassy had been offered. The case therefore also has a diplomatic dimension: Indonesia must decide how to assist its citizen and respond to Russia’s recruitment efforts.
According to Ukrainian figures, at least 283 Indonesians are said to have gone to Russia between January and September to fight for the Russian army. That tally comes from Ukrainian sources and cannot be verified independently. Russia has not publicly confirmed how many Indonesian citizens serve in its armed forces.
The case fits reports of Russian attempts to recruit foreign fighters. For the Netherlands and Europe, the main relevance is that the war affects not only soldiers from Russia and Ukraine, but also people from countries that are formally not party to the conflict. This case does not establish how many foreign recruits sign up voluntarily or are deceived.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Ukraine says it has captured an Indonesian citizen serving with Russian forces.
- The man says he was lured to Russia with an offer of construction work.
- The scale of Indonesian recruitment by Russia has not been independently established.
Left
Arguments Foreign recruitment shows that vulnerable migrant workers need protection from deception and military exploitation.
Values Workers’ rights, the international legal order and the protection of civilians.
Consequences Without better oversight, promises of work can be used to lure people into a war.
Centre
Arguments The prisoner’s legal status must be established under international humanitarian law, while Indonesia must demand consular access and verification.
Values Factual verification, diplomacy and the protection of prisoners of war.
Consequences A measured response prevents one case from being used to draw unsubstantiated conclusions about all foreign recruits.
Right
Arguments States must warn their citizens about foreign military contracts and crack down on networks recruiting people.
Values National security, border control and state responsibility.
Consequences Greater oversight may limit recruitment, but could also make legal labour migration to Russia more difficult.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article clearly distinguishes between confirmed reports and Ukrainian claims. No unverified quotations or figures are presented as established fact.
- confirmed Ukraine reported the capture of an Indonesian man serving with Russian forces. — Reported by AP and Ukrainian government channels. source
- confirmed The man is 49 years old and comes from Java. — Reported by the Ukrainian organisation I Want to Live and repeated by several public sources. source
- uncertain At least 283 Indonesians are said to have gone to Russia between January and September to fight. — This figure comes from Ukrainian sources and has not been independently verified; that limitation is stated in the text. source
- confirmed The Indonesian embassy was offered consular access. — Reported by Ukraine’s coordination organisation for prisoners of war. source
Editor's note
The capture and the man’s Indonesian nationality were reported by Ukrainian sources and picked up by AP. The claim that the man was deceived and the figures for Indonesian recruits have not been independently confirmed.Sources
- Russia and Ukraine agree to a large prisoner exchange as talks end — Associated Press
- Ukraine captures first Indonesian POW recruited by Russia — Hromadske
- Ukraine captures first Indonesian POW recruited by Russia — UNITED24 Media
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „oekraïne rusland”
- Trouw — „oekraïne rusland”
- NRC — „oekraïne rusland”