Depok, West Java. An Indonesian man named by Ukrainian intelligence as one of eight Indonesians allegedly recruited to fight for Russia had obtained a new passport after telling immigration officials he planned to visit Malaysia for tourism and to support his online shoe and bag business.

Wahyu Oktavian Iskandar, a resident of Depok, West Java, was among eight Indonesians recently identified by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU) as allegedly joining the Russian military after being lured by job offers promising high salaries.

Depok Immigration Office head Irvan Triansyah said Thursday that Wahyu replaced his passport on April 6, 2026, through the government's M-Paspor application.

During his interview with immigration officials, Irvan said there was no indication that Wahyu was going to join Russian forces.

“Based on the initial interview, there was no indication that he would travel to Russia. His purpose was only tourism and to support his small business,” Irvan said.

The immigration office is now checking Wahyu’s travel records to determine when he left Indonesia and what route he may have taken.

Irvan said the issuance of a passport could not establish whether Wahyu had later traveled to Russia. Because there are no direct flights between Indonesia and Russia, officials need to examine his immigration records to determine possible transit routes.

FISU alleged that the eight Indonesians were initially offered jobs with promises of high salaries, non-combat duties and a fast-track route to Russian citizenship before being recruited into the Russian military and sent to the front line in the war against Ukraine.

The eight names released by FISU are Yuda Putra Pratama, Haryanto Dwi Kencana, Erwanda, Ngangun Hudri Fadli, Muhammad Syaripudin, M Hadi Maulana, Wahyu Oktavian Iskandar and Helmi Nuraha Hakim.

The Indonesian government is investigating the allegations, including whether the men were deceived through fraudulent job offers.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang said the government was still working to verify the individuals’ identities and citizenship, as well as how they were recruited and the nature of their involvement.

“We still need to confirm the individuals’ identities, citizenships, recruitment process and the nature of their involvement,” Yvonne said.

Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov has denied that the Russian Embassy recruited Indonesians or other foreigners to join the Russian military.

He said Russian diplomatic missions did not conduct military recruitment, although foreigners could voluntarily join the Russian armed forces.

“That is their personal decision. We do not ask anyone or spread information related to recruitment here,” Tolchenov said in Jakarta.

“There are a lot of foreigners in the Russian army, but no embassy abroad does enrollment.”

Tolchenov also suggested that some Indonesians could be fighting on the Ukrainian side, although he did not provide details.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry is cross-checking the Ukrainian allegations with Indonesian diplomatic missions and other government agencies.

The case recalls that of former Indonesian Marine Satria Arta Kumbara, who attracted national attention in 2025 after volunteering for the Russian military. His decision resulted in the revocation of his Indonesian citizenship.

Indonesian law allows the government to revoke the citizenship of individuals who join a foreign military, particularly without presidential approval, although such action requires official verification.

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