Ukraine Captures First Indonesian Citizen Taken Prisoner After Fighting for Russia
Ukrainian forces captured 49-year-old Indonesian citizen Sukamto Ayoк from Blitar, Java, after he was recruited by Russia and sent to fight in Ukraine. He said he expected construction work but was instead forced to sign a Russian Ministry of Defense contract and deployed in an assault toward Zaporizhzhia. Indonesia has asked Russia to stop recruiting Indonesian citizens into its armed forces.
Key points
- Sukamto Ayoк, 49, was captured after his unit was hit by Ukrainian drones in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
- He traveled to Moscow on June 22, 2026, after a former classmate offered him construction work.
- The document he signed was reportedly a contract with Russia's Ministry of Defense, not a construction agreement.
- He was assigned to Russia's 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and later sent to an assault in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
- After an attempted escape, he was caught and forcibly tattooed with an identification number.
- Russia reportedly recruited about 283 Indonesians in the first nine months of 2026, compared with no more than 10 in the preceding three years.
- An Indonesian consul was granted access to the prisoner following talks between Dmytro Usov and Indonesian Ambassador Arif Basalamah.
Why it matters
The case provides evidence of foreign recruitment into Russia's military and of an Indonesian citizen being taken prisoner by Ukraine. Indonesia's formal request to Russia highlights a diplomatic dispute over the recruitment of its citizens, while Indonesian authorities' discovery of a human-trafficking network shows how people may be deceived through promises of paid construction, logistics and border-security work.
What happened
Sukamto Ayoк arrived in Moscow on June 22, 2026, believing he had secured construction work. The contract he signed turned out to be with Russia's Ministry of Defense, and he was assigned to the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade. On June 30, while traveling with 12 other people toward occupied Donetsk, he learned that he had been recruited for military service. After attempting to escape with other Indonesians, he was caught. Russian personnel forcibly tattooed an identification number on his chest and sent him with other foreign nationals to participate in assault actions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukrainian drones struck the group, and Ayoк eventually reached Ukrainian-controlled territory and was taken prisoner.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes that Ayoк is the first Indonesian citizen captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia. It focuses on the disguised contract, forced tattooing, deployment to an assault toward Zaporizhzhia and the drone strike that led to his capture. Ukrainian sources also highlight the agreement for an Indonesian consul to have access to him and Indonesia's request that Russia halt recruitment.
How international sources describe it
International coverage places the individual case within wider concerns about Indonesia's citizens being deceived into military roles and about recruitment networks operating through social media and messaging applications. It also links the sharp rise in foreign recruitment to Russia's heavy losses, while noting Indonesia's diplomatic appeal to Moscow.
Where reporting differs
The total number of Indonesians recruited by Russia varies with the reporting period: international and Ukrainian sources cite about 283 during the first nine months of 2026, while 292 was reported by the time Ayoк was captured.
Background
Indonesia's police uncovered a human-trafficking network that recruited citizens through social networks and messaging applications, promising highly paid work in logistics, border security and defensive construction. Recruited people were forced to sign mercenary-service contracts, and some were sent to combat zones. Russia reportedly recruited about 283 Indonesian citizens during the first nine months of 2026, compared with no more than 10 during the preceding three years. The wider international reporting also notes Russian recruitment of citizens from Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.