Indonesia urges Russia to stop recruiting its citizens for military service

The Indonesian government has formally requested that Russia immediately cease the recruitment of Indonesian citizens into its military or other military-related formations. This diplomatic move follows reports of an Indonesian citizen's death while serving in the Russian military in Ukraine.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, stated that Jakarta has requested to be officially included on a list of countries whose citizens are excluded from Russian military recruitment. The government is also investigating whether these recruitment practices constitute human trafficking.

In a related development, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) revealed an investigation into human trafficking involving 58 victims. Authorities reported that recruiters used social media to lure Indonesian citizens with promises of high salaries and bonuses to work as mercenaries in Russia. The investigation is ongoing to uncover broader domestic and international recruitment networks.