Jakarta. A former Indonesian marine who allegedly joined the Russian military to fight in the war against Ukraine could be stripped of his Indonesian citizenship, a senior lawmaker said on Monday.

Satria Arta Kumbara became a viral sensation in Indonesia after videos and photos circulated online, purportedly showing him in Russian military gear.

The Indonesian Navy later confirmed his identity, stating that Satria had been dishonorably discharged in April 2023 -- nearly a year after he went AWOL (absent without leave).

House of Representatives member Tubagus Hasanuddin said that under the Indonesian Constitution, serving in a foreign military is grounds for the automatic revocation of citizenship.

“An Indonesian citizen who joins the armed forces of another country is effectively declaring the renunciation of their Indonesian citizenship, or the state may revoke it outright,” Tubagus said.

Earlier this month, a TikTok account posted a series of photos and videos showing the same man in both the white ceremonial uniform of the Indonesian Navy and the camouflage uniform of the Russian Army. The account claimed the man had joined the Russian military in its war against Ukraine.

Navy spokesman I Made Wira Hadi confirmed the man in the videos was Second Sergeant Satria. He said Satria had been convicted of desertion in absentia by a military tribunal in April 2023 and sentenced to one year in prison, in addition to his discharge from service.

Satria had left his unit without authorization on June 13, 2022, Wira said on Sunday.

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