Jakarta. Russia has just accused Ukraine of recruiting Indonesian mercenaries not long after Kyiv released similar reports against Moscow.

The warring countries are now pointing fingers at each other, saying that the other side had sent Indonesian men to the front. The Ukrainian intelligence agency FISU was the first to fire in late August. It released a report that stated at least 8 Indonesian men were duped into becoming Russian soldiers following promises of high pay and noncombat positions. 

The Russian Embassy in Indonesia retaliated on Friday by saying that foreign recruitment also existed in the Ukrainian forces. An undisclosed number of Indonesians had allegedly lost their lives because of it.

“Tens of thousands of citizens from other countries are currently serving in the Ukrainian army. Several thousand people died; Indonesian citizens were also among them,” the embassy wrote in a statement.

Moscow pointed to Kyiv’s plan to fill up to half of its army with foreign recruits. It alleged that the latter had used “deceptive methods” involving its diplomatic missions and affiliated organizations. 

The embassy highlighted how the report — which they referred to as a “disinformation campaign” — was only out just a few days before President Prabowo Subianto’s Vladivostok trip. It went on to say that the timing was “aimed at damaging the Russian-Indonesian relations”. 

The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the Jakarta Globe’s request for comments on Moscow’s latest statement. 

When Kyiv first released the reports of the 8 Indonesian men fighting on Russia’s side, the ministry’s spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang told the press that Jakarta would investigate the matter.

The men’s involvement in the Russian army would not “reflect Indonesia’s foreign policy approach”, according to Yvonne, while repeating Jakarta’s calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Ukrainian embassy recently said that it was willing to work with Indonesia to prevent more people from becoming a Russian mercenary.

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