Ukraine captures first Indonesian prisoner of war amid surge in Russian recruitment

Ukraine says it has captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, a 49-year-old man from Java who was taken to the Zaporizhzhia region to fight for Russia. The case comes amid reports of a sharp rise in Indonesian recruitment and growing concern that foreign nationals are being drawn into Russia’s war effort.

Ukraine’s I Want to Live project says 283 Indonesians were recruited in the first nine months of this year, compared with no more than 10 over the previous three years. Indonesia has urged Russia to prevent such recruitment, citing concern about possible human trafficking; police say a syndicate used online adverts for jobs before directing applicants to sign military contracts. Russia’s embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to questions about the alleged recruitment.