World News
Ukraine captures first Indonesian prisoner of war amid surge in Russian recruitment
Ukraine says it has captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, amid what it says is a spike in recruitment by Russia from the south-east Asian nation.
The 49-year-old man from Java was taken to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region to take part in a Russian assault, but managed to reach Ukrainian-held territory after the group came under drone attack, according to Ukraine’s state-run I Want to Live project. He was then captured by the Ukrainians.
According to the project, some 283 Indonesians were recruited in the first nine months of this year to fight for Russia against Ukraine. It said recruitment from Indonesia was no more than 10 in the previous three years. This month Jakarta urged Moscow to ensure no Indonesians were drafted into its military, following the reported death in October of an Indonesian national serving with the military.
The Russian embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to questions about the alleged recruitment effort but it is not the first time Russia has sought foreign mercenaries for its war effort.