First Indonesian POW Captured in Ukraine After Being Lured by Fake Construction Job

Indonesia has lost its first citizen to the Russian front lines after a 49-year-old man was captured by Ukrainian forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to reports from The Kyiv Independent and Stop Russian Recruiters.

Sukamto Ayok, a resident of Blitar on the island of Java, was allegedly lured to Russia under the guise of civilian employment before being thrust into combat. This capture marks a significant escalation in the recruitment of foreign nationals into Russia’s military forces, a trend that has seen Indonesian involvement skyrocket in recent months.

The shift in recruitment patterns is stark. Data from Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project indicates that Russia has recruited at least 292 Indonesian nationals into its military. While fewer than 10 Indonesians were recruited in the three years preceding 2026, 283 of them were brought into service during the first nine months of this year alone.

The sequence of events began in May 2026, when a former classmate of Ayok’s, identified by Stop Russian Recruiters as Aryo Aryanto, offered him a civilian construction job in Russia. Aryanto was reportedly acting on behalf of a recruiter named Alexander to arrange the trip.

First Indonesian POW Captured in Ukraine After Being Lured by Fake Construction Job — Photo: Stop Russian Recruiters

Ayok arrived in Moscow on July 22 alongside a man named Charles Kumar. While in Moscow, Ayok signed what he believed was a one-year contract for construction work, The Kyiv Independent reported. However, the document was actually an agreement with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The reality of the situation became clear on July 30, while Ayok was being transported by bus to Russian-occupied Donetsk. According to Stop Russian Recruiters, Ayok and another Indonesian national attempted to escape during the transit but were detained. Following their capture, Russian personnel allegedly forcibly tattooed an identification number on Ayok’s chest.

The transition from civilian to soldier involved no formal preparation. Ayok reportedly received no military training before being deployed to participate in an assault in the Zaporizhzhia region. His unit eventually came under Ukrainian drone attacks, and after wandering for several days, Ayok reached Ukrainian positions where he was taken prisoner.

Ukraine Captures Indonesian Fighting for Russian Forces — Asia One News

This case is not an isolated incident of deception, but part of a growing pattern that has caught the attention of Indonesian authorities. Jakarta has recently urged Moscow to prevent its citizens from being recruited into the Russian military, particularly following reports of an Indonesian national’s death in the conflict.

Indonesian police have also identified a suspected human trafficking network operating through social media and messaging apps. This network reportedly advertises high-paying civilian roles in Russia, only to divert recruits into military service once they arrive on Russian soil.

The diplomatic fallout is already underway. In October, Ukrainian officials met with Indonesia’s ambassador to Ukraine, Arief Basalamah, to discuss the situation. The Ukrainian side expressed its readiness to facilitate a consular visit to Ayok.

While the specific details of Ayok’s experience could not be independently verified by The Kyiv Independent, the scale of the recruitment effort suggests a systematic approach. Russia continues to seek foreign nationals from Asia, Africa, and Latin America—including recruits from India, Nepal, Kenya, and Cuba—to replenish its forces and mitigate the need for domestic mass mobilization.

The “I Want to Live” project, which helps foreign nationals and Russian soldiers surrender safely, remains a primary channel for those caught in these recruitment schemes.