Ukraine captures first Indonesian POW allegedly lured into Russian army with construction job offer
Ukraine says it has captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, a 49-year-old man who claims he was tricked into joining the Russian military after being promised construction work, The Guardian reports.
The man, identified as Sukamto Ayok from Blitar on Indonesia's Java island, was captured in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Ukrainian government's I Want to Live project, which helps Russian troops and foreign recruits surrender.
Ayok said a former classmate offered him a construction job in Russia in May 2026. He traveled to Moscow on July 22, where he signed what he believed was an employment contract. It turned out to be an agreement with the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to the Ukrainian project, Ayok discovered he had been recruited into the military only when he was transported toward Russian-occupied Donetsk on July 30.
He said he and other Indonesians tried to escape but were caught. Russian soldiers then forcibly tattooed an identification number on his chest, he alleged.
Ayok was subsequently sent to take part in an assault in the Zaporizhzhia region. After his group came under attack by Ukrainian drones, he reached Ukrainian-held territory and was taken prisoner.
His case comes amid a sharp rise in reported Russian recruitment of Indonesian nationals.
According to figures cited by The Guardian from Ukraine's I Want to Live project, 283 Indonesians were recruited to fight for Russia during the first nine months of 2026, compared with no more than 10 over the previous three years.
Indonesia has raised concerns about the practice. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said Jakarta had asked Moscow to take all necessary steps to prevent Indonesian nationals from being recruited into the Russian military.
The Indonesian government is particularly concerned that some recruitment schemes may amount to human trafficking.
Indonesian police have also identified a suspected trafficking network that allegedly used social media and messaging apps to advertise well-paid jobs in logistics, border security and construction. Applicants who traveled to Russia were instead directed toward military contracts, police said.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it had arranged for Indonesia's ambassador to Ukraine, Arief Basalamah, to discuss consular access to Ayok.
Russia's embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to The Guardian's request for comment on the recruitment allegations.
Russia has previously faced allegations of recruiting foreign nationals through deceptive employment offers, including from several African countries, as it seeks additional personnel for its war against Ukraine.