Eight Indonesians Join Russian Legion: What Is Their Citizenship Status?
The presence of a number of Indonesian citizens (WNI) who have joined the Russian military and are serving on the front lines of the war with Ukraine has no connection to the government’s political stance. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang stressed that Indonesia maintains a neutral foreign policy position in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“If the involvement of Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of the foreign country in question is verified, this is an individual action. It does not represent Indonesia’s foreign policy or the government’s position,” Yvonne said when contacted by Republika from Jakarta on Monday (31/8/2026). Yvonne confirmed that Indonesia continues to encourage peace to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Indonesia remains consistent in encouraging a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and stresses the importance of respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law,” Yvonne said. Regarding reports of eight Indonesian citizens joining the Russian military and being on the front lines of the war with Ukraine, Yvonne said verification is underway.
Yvonne said Ukraine’s intelligence authorities released information about the presence of Indonesian citizens in the ranks of the Russian army. “The Indonesian government is verifying this information through representatives of the Republic of Indonesia in Ukraine and also in Russia,” Yvonne said. Verification is also being carried out in Indonesia across ministries. This is being done to confirm identities, citizenship status, including the recruitment process, and the form of individual involvement.
“All of that must be confirmed,” Yvonne said. She added that Indonesia, as a state based on law, clearly refers to constitutional provisions regarding the involvement of Indonesian citizens in foreign military service or foreign legions. Yvonne said this has constitutional consequences for the citizenship status of those individuals. However, she said these constitutional consequences can only be applied after a complete verification process.
Nevertheless, Yvonne did not rule out the possibility that the verification process could lead to other findings. This includes, she said, the presence of Indonesian citizens in foreign garrisons due to unilateral contracts through breached agreements.
“The Indonesian government is also looking into other possibilities, including elements of fraud, exploitation, or recruitment through job offers that do not match their actual purpose, making Indonesian citizens victims,” Yvonne said.
Last week, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU) released information about eight Indonesian citizens recruited by the Russian government to become war personnel. These Indonesian citizens became Russian mercenaries and are on the front lines of the war with the Ukrainian military. FISU even released the full identities of these Indonesian citizens.
Among them are Yuda Putra Pratama, born August 1997, Heryanto Dwi Kencana (1983), and Erwanda (1988). Next are Ngangun Hudri Fadli (1978), Muhammad Syaripudin (1994), and M Hadi Maulana (1987). Then Wahyu Oktavian Iskandar (1985), and finally Helmi Nurana Hakim (1983).