Indonesian authorities are investigating information concerning several Indonesian citizens who are suspected of having joined the Russian army and are fighting on the front in Ukraine, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
Several ministries and government institutions in Indonesia are currently checking information from Ukrainian authorities, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry reported, without specifying the number of Indonesians suspected of having joined the Russian army.
If the information from Ukraine is confirmed, the fighters risk losing their citizenship under a law that requires Indonesians to obtain approval from the president if they wish to serve in the armed forces of a foreign country.
"If the participation of Indonesian citizens in the armed forces of a foreign country is confirmed, then it is an individual decision that does not reflect either the policy or the opinion of the Indonesian government. Information regarding the identity, recruitment procedure and the form in which the mentioned individuals have enlisted (in the Russian forces, ed. note) has yet to be clarified in more detail", the ministry added.
The Indonesian government will also investigate "the possibility of fraud, exploitation or recruitment through job offers that do not correspond to the original purpose", the Indonesian foreign ministry stressed.
There have never been a large number of mercenaries from Indonesia going to fight on the side of Ukraine or Russia. Both countries have been recruiting foreign fighters since the beginning of the conflict between them, AFP notes.
According to various reports, citizens from African countries have been forcibly recruited to fight on the side of Russia in Ukraine after being lured with promises of work abroad.