Russian Embassy Calls Ukraine’s Claims about Indonesians Disinformation

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Russian Embassy in Jakarta has described claims by the Ukrainian Embassy that at least eight Indonesian citizens allegedly joined the Russian Armed Forces as a disinformation campaign driven by propaganda.

“The Embassy of Ukraine in Jakarta has recently spread a comment claiming that at least eight Indonesian citizens who visited Russia allegedly joined the Russian Armed Forces. This is a propaganda-driven disinformation campaign,” the Russian Embassy said in a statement received on Friday, September 4, 2026.

“Copies of e-visas and migration cards issued for tourist trips, which were published by the Ukrainian Embassy, certainly do not constitute evidence of joining military service,” the statement said.

The Russian Embassy also accused Ukraine of actively recruiting foreign nationals through diplomatic missions and affiliated organizations abroad, claiming tens of thousands of foreign nationals, including Indonesian citizens, are currently serving in the Ukrainian military.

According to the Russian Embassy, the majority of prisoners of war who returned from Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges reported torture, abuse, and cruel treatment while in captivity. “It is extremely cynical,” the embassy said regarding Ukraine’s claims of adherence to international humanitarian law.

“It is obvious that the anti-Russian disinformation campaign held by the Ukrainian Embassy was timed to coincide with the participation of President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto in the XI Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok and aimed at damaging Russian-Indonesian relations,” the statement added.

Previously, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported that at least eight Indonesian citizens had allegedly been recruited to join the Russian Armed Forces. The information was published in a report posted on Telegram on August 27, 2026, with Ukrainian media citing documents that purportedly showed the recruitment.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not issued a new response to the Russian Embassy’s statement as of the publication of this report.

Previously, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said the Indonesian Government was verifying the information through diplomatic missions and in coordination with relevant ministries and government agencies.