Jakarta. Indonesia has formally urged Russia to stop recruiting Indonesian citizens into its armed forces or affiliated military formations following a report that an Indonesian national was killed while fighting in Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said Sunday that Jakarta had conveyed its objection to Moscow through diplomatic channels and requested measures to prevent Indonesians from being recruited for military service.

"The Indonesian government has asked the Russian government to take the necessary steps to ensure that Indonesian citizens are not recruited into the Russian military or other military-related formations through any channel," Yvonne said.

Indonesia has also raised concerns that some recruitment activities may involve human trafficking.

Yvonne said Jakarta had asked Moscow to formally designate Indonesia as a country whose nationals are excluded from military recruitment, regardless of the recruitment channel.

The government expects Russia to implement the requested restrictions effectively, she added.

Embassy Investigates Reported Death
The diplomatic intervention follows a report by Ukraine's military intelligence agency that an Indonesian citizen had died after joining Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

Yvonne said the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow was investigating the report and seeking to verify the individual's identity and military status.

"The Indonesian Embassy in Moscow is conducting further inquiries and verification, including concerning the identity and status of the person involved," she said.

She stressed that the investigation would respect personal data protection principles and urged the public to avoid speculation until the relevant facts had been established.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate, known as HUR, reported on Oct. 27 that an Indonesian identified by the initials MT, born in 1978 and formerly employed as a taxi driver in Jakarta, had joined the Russian military.

According to the Ukrainian account, the man signed a one-year military contract but was killed approximately one week after being deployed to the battlefield.

Indonesian authorities have not independently confirmed the account, including the circumstances of his recruitment or reported death.

Earlier Reports of Indonesian Recruits
The latest case follows an earlier allegation by Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, which released documents in September that it said identified at least eight Indonesian citizens recruited into Russia's armed forces.

The agency named Yuda Putra Pratama, Haryanto Dwi Kencana, Erwanda, Ngangun Hudri Fadli, Muhammad Syaripudin, Hadi Maulana, Wahyu Oktavian Iskandar and Helmi Nuraha Hakim.

The identities and military status of those named have not been independently verified.

Under Indonesia's 2006 Citizenship Law, an Indonesian national may lose citizenship by voluntarily entering foreign military service without prior permission from the president.

Yvonne urged Indonesians considering overseas employment to exercise caution, verify job offers through authorized institutions and avoid signing contracts they do not fully understand.

She also warned prospective workers against offers promising unusually high compensation.

The government's warning comes amid broader concerns over Russia's recruitment of foreign nationals for military service during its war in Ukraine, including allegations that some recruits were misled about the nature of the work they would perform.

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