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Ukraine Captures First Indonesian POW Recruited by Russia
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Ukraine has captured an Indonesian national fighting for Russia for the first time, after the 49-year-old man was allegedly recruited through a fraudulent construction job offer and sent to the front line.
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According to The Guardian on November 11, the prisoner was identified as Sukamto Ayok, a resident of Blitar on Indonesia’s Java island. Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project reported that Ayok was approached on May 27, 2026, by a former classmate who offered him construction work in Russia.
He arrived in Moscow on June 22 and signed what he believed was an employment agreement. However, the document was actually a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense, and Ayok was assigned to the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade.
Ayok reportedly discovered the deception on June 30 while traveling with 12 other men toward Russian-occupied Donetsk.
According to the Ukrainian project, he and other Indonesian recruits attempted to escape but were caught by Russian military personnel. Ayok alleged that soldiers forcibly tattooed an identification number onto his chest.
He was subsequently deployed to the Zaporizhzhia sector, where his assault group came under Ukrainian drone attack. He later reached Ukrainian-controlled territory and was taken prisoner.
The Guardian reported that Russia recruited approximately 283 Indonesian nationals during the first nine months of 2026, compared with no more than 10 over the preceding three years. The total has since reportedly reached 292.
In October, Ukrainian officials agreed to facilitate consular access to Ayok following discussions with Indonesian Ambassador Arief Basalamah. Indonesia has also urged Moscow to stop recruiting its citizens after reports that an Indonesian national serving in the Russian military was killed in October.
According to The Guardian, Indonesian authorities recently uncovered a recruitment network that used social media and messaging platforms to advertise well-paid jobs in logistics, security, and construction. Some recruits were allegedly pressured into signing Russian military contracts after arriving in the country.
Earlier, on October 27, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported that another Indonesian national, 48-year-old Taufiq Muhammad, was killed during his first combat engagement in the Donetsk region after receiving just 10 days of military training. He had reportedly been recruited through promises of easy earnings before signing a contract with the Russian military.
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