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SCMP’s Asia desk

Indonesia on Wednesday said the government was ascertaining reports that eight of its citizens who applied for civilian jobs allegedly ended up fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said authorities were checking the identities and hiring processes involved, which offered attractive perks such as high pay, non-combat duties and fast-tracking Russian citizenship.
“We are taking the information from Ukraine seriously. But we cannot draw conclusions before all the facts have been verified,” Yusril said on Wednesday.
According to state news agency Antara, he said the government must determine whether they had actually been fighting alongside Russian forces.
Yusril’s response came after Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service last week said it had accessed documents allegedly linking the eight Indonesians to Russia’s military.
The agency added that recruiters lured foreigners with job offers and later sent them to the battlefield.

Yusril said the eight people could have been duped into joining the Russian military and were possibly unaware of the consequences of deliberately representing a foreign army without presidential permission.
“If our citizens were recruited through job offers but then directed into military service and sent to a conflict zone, we must determine whether they are victims,” Antara quoted him as saying.
Russia’s ambassador on Tuesday said Moscow was ready to help Jakarta in connection with the case upon request.
Sergei Tolchenov also said his country’s embassy in Indonesia did not conduct any recruitment for the Russian armed forces, Tempo news magazine reported.
Under Indonesian law, an individual’s citizenship can be revoked in certain cases, including joining a foreign military without presidential authorisation.


Yusril said action would be taken against the eight people if the “facts prove that the requirements for loss of citizenship have been met”.
Russia has in the past conducted a purported enlistment drive in Asia in a bid to bolster its defences following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last month, a Ukrainian military intelligence report said at least three Filipinos had been killed on the Russian front lines in recent years.
In January, a former member of a paramilitary arm of Indonesia’s national police lost his citizenship after joining a Russian mercenary group fighting in Ukraine.
Muhammad Rio said in a social media video that he earned a monthly salary of 210,000 roubles (US$2,434), along with a signing bonus of 2 million roubles.
More than 18,000 foreigners from 128 countries and territories have fought or are currently fighting for Russia in Ukraine, CNN quoted a Ukrainian brigadier general as saying last year.


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Indonesia investigates reports of 8 citizens fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine

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Jakarta says it has to determine if the eight people were recruited through job offers but then duped into joining Russia’s military


Jakarta says it has to determine if the eight people were recruited through job offers but then duped into joining Russia’s military.


Indonesia investigates reports of 8 citizens fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Jakarta says it has to determine if the eight people were recruited through job offers but then duped into joining Russia’s military

Jakarta says it has to determine if the eight people were recruited through job offers but then duped into joining Russia’s military