Ukraine captures first Indonesian POW amid Russian recruitment
The gist
Ukraine says it captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, a 49-year-old man from Java, in Zaporizhzhia.
Hundreds of Indonesians are reported recruited by Russia, prompting Jakarta to act.
How it unfolded
- Oct 2026Brig. Gen. Dmytro Usov, secretary of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, met Indonesia's ambassador to Ukraine, Arif Basalamah; the Ukrainian side said it was ready to agree to a consular visit to Sukamto.
- Nov 10, 2026Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project said in a post on X that Sukamto Ayok, 49, from Blitar on Java, is the first Indonesian taken prisoner in Ukraine.
- Nov 11, 2026Ukraine said it captured its first Indonesian POW in the Zaporizhzhia region after his Russian unit came under a drone attack and he reached Ukrainian-held territory.
Key terms
- POW
- A person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict.
- Zaporizhzhia
- A city in southeast Ukraine on the Dnieper River, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
- consular visit
- Help and advice provided by a country's diplomatic agents to its citizens living or traveling overseas.
Source: Wikipedia