Ukraine captures first Indonesian prisoner of war as Russia steps up foreign recruitment

Ukraine says it has captured Sukamto Ayok, a 49-year-old Indonesian man who was allegedly deceived into joining Russia’s military and sent to fight in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. His reported case highlights concerns that Russia is recruiting foreign nationals through promises of civilian work as it seeks to bolster its forces in Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s I Want to Live project, Ayok signed what he believed was a construction contract after arriving in Moscow in July, but was assigned to a Russian motorised rifle brigade. The project says he received no military training, was sent into an assault and reached Ukrainian positions after his unit came under drone attack; the account has not been independently verified. It says Russia recruited at least 292 Indonesians, including 283 in the first nine months of 2026, compared with fewer than 10 in the previous three years.