A recent report has highlighted concerns that individuals from Southeast Asia, including eight Indonesians, have been deceived into joining Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. Ukraine’s intelligence agency disclosed on August 27 that these Indonesians were lured by promises of lucrative civilian employment but ultimately found themselves conscripted into combat roles. The Indonesian government confirmed awareness of the cases.

The intelligence agency identified Indonesia as the newest country whose nationals are reportedly being exploited to bolster Russia’s depleted military forces. It warned that Moscow’s recruitment tactics have been tested in numerous other countries. Previous reports have suggested similar recruitment attempts involving Filipinos; in August, the Philippine military stated it was investigating claims that a Filipino fighting for Russia had been killed in action.

Experts say Russian recruiters are capitalizing on well-established scam networks prevalent in Southeast Asia, targeting economically vulnerable individuals who respond to fraudulent job advertisements on social media. Munira Mustaffa, executive director of Malaysia’s Chasseur Group and senior fellow at Verve Research, noted that many recruits likely traveled to Russia under the impression they were accepting non-military jobs. She emphasized that Russia’s recruitment strategy exploits those who are often overlooked in such operations.

Moscow has rejected the allegations, characterizing the reports as “dangerous and misleading” propaganda.

Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, a professor at the University of Twente and member of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, explained that recruitment approaches had shifted from overt glorification of warfare to more deceptive offers involving jobs or scholarships. She said victims frequently experience coercion, have their passports confiscated, and accrue substantial debts to recruiters. Ranito drew parallels between these cases and scam networks already observed in Southeast Asia, noting common features such as deception, elements of human trafficking, and violence.

Reported monthly salaries for foreign fighters ranged from approximately 180,000 to 320,600 roubles (about HK$16,700 to HK$30,000), with signing bonuses between 200,000 and 1.9 million roubles. These financial incentives may have initially attracted recruits before they realized the nature of their assignments. Some brokers reportedly facilitated travel through intermediate countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, using religious or tourist visas before the recruits ultimately ended up in Russia working for the military.

Ranito commended the Indian government’s efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repatriate hundreds of affected Indian nationals and urged other countries to take similar steps. She also called on governments to increase public awareness campaigns about illegal recruitment risks and to implement legal frameworks criminalizing such recruitment networks, ensuring accountability through judicial processes.