Ukraine captures first Indonesian prisoner of war as Russia steps up foreign recruitment
The man, originally from the Indonesian island of Java, was sent to participate in a Russian assault in southern Ukraine. After his unit came under a Ukrainian drone attack, he managed to reach Ukrainian-held territory, where he was taken prisoner, according to the I Want to Live project.
Ukraine has captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, a 49-year-old man named Sukamto Ayok, who was allegedly tricked into joining the Russian military and sent to fight in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ayok was promised civilian construction work in Russia by a former classmate in May 2026, but instead arrived in Moscow on July 22, signed an agreement with the Russian Defense Ministry, and was assigned to Russia's 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade.
He discovered he had been enlisted in the military on July 30, while being transported to Russian-occupied Donetsk. Ayok and another Indonesian national attempted to escape but were detained, and Russian personnel allegedly forcibly tattooed an identification number on his chest. This capture comes amid growing concerns in Indonesia over the recruitment of its citizens into Russia's armed forces, with Russia having recruited at least 292 Indonesian nationals into its military.
Brief written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
