Ukraine has announced that it has captured the first Indonesian prisoner of war. The announcement comes at a time when Ukrainian authorities speak of an increase in the recruitment by Russia of citizens of this Southeast Asian country. The 49-year-old man, originally from the island of Java, had been sent to the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine to take part in a Russian attack.
He ended up in territory controlled by Ukrainian forces after his group was hit by a drone. According to the Ukrainian state project “I Want to Live”, he was then captured by Ukrainian forces. This is the first known case of an Indonesian being taken prisoner in this war.
According to the same project, about 283 Indonesians were recruited in the first nine months of this year alone to fight for Russia against Ukraine. By comparison, recruitment from Indonesia had not exceeded 10 people in the previous three years. The rise in the number of Indonesians on the Russian front has provoked reactions in Jakarta.
This month, the Indonesian government asked Moscow to guarantee that no Indonesian citizen would be recruited into the Russian army. The request came after reports of the death in October of an Indonesian serving in those ranks. A few days later, Indonesian police announced that they had identified a human trafficking syndicate targeting its citizens.
According to police, the network used social media and messaging apps to lure victims. It promised them well-paid jobs in logistics, border security and defensive construction. After applicants travelled to Russia, they were instructed to sign contracts to serve as mercenaries.
Some of them were deployed to conflict zones. The phenomenon is not limited to Indonesia. In February, Kenya’s intelligence services reported that more than 1,000 Kenyans had been lured to fight for Russia.
A growing number of people from African countries, including Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, as well as from other countries, have been drawn toward the front line. This is happening as Russia seeks help to sustain its war more than four years after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. ## The “I Want to Live” project and human trafficking The “I Want to Live” project was created in September 2022 by the coordination headquarters for prisoners of war.
It is supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and the Defence Intelligence (HUR). Its aim is to enable troops on active duty to surrender safely and leave the battlefield. This includes Russian soldiers and foreign citizens recruited into the Russian army.
The case of the Indonesian prisoner and the recruitment figures place the issue of human trafficking at the centre of attention. It also shows how the war in Ukraine is drawing citizens from distant countries.