JAKARTA: The reported death of Rendi Apriyanto, a 30-year-old Indonesian who was fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine, has left his family in anguish, with no clarity over whether his body can be brought home and questions still surrounding how he was recruited and ended up on the battlefield.
Rendi’s father, Ruskamal, 56, said the family learned of his death from another Indonesian fighting for the Russian military who called to relay the news.
“Rendi’s friend told us they had been caught in a major drone attack. He said he had suffered serious injuries from gunfire and drone strikes, while Rendi was killed around Sept. 18 or 20,” Ruskamal said on Tuesday.
Ruskamal said the friend also told the family that Rendi’s body could not yet be recovered because of intense fighting and the risk of further air strikes along the frontline.
Ruskamal said the family only recently learned that Rendi had joined the Russian military.
The eldest of two children, Rendi left his home in Natuna Island, Riau Islands province, in 2022 to work in the provincial capital Batam. He had studied electrical engineering and worked for a telecommunications company before moving to a shipyard.
“He later travelled to the Philippines to work as an electrician. After completing his first contract, he briefly returned to Indonesia before leaving again for the Philippines,” Ruskamal said.
In February, Rendi suddenly told his family during a video call that he was in Russia.
“We had no idea at all that he was going there. I asked him why he had gone there when there was a war. He just asked me to pray that he would be safe,” Ruskamal said.
Rendi told his family he had been recruited to work in logistics, transporting supplies rather than serving as a frontline combatant.
Rendi had planned to return to Indonesia and marry in May of next year, his family said. He regularly set aside part of his salary to support his parents and hoped to take them on an umrah (minor haj) pilgrimage.
“He was an obedient and hardworking son,” his mother, Eniyanti, said. “His last message was simply to ask us to pray for him from afar.”
Read also: Indonesia probes citizens alleged to have fought for Russia in Ukraine
The family has asked the Indonesian government to clarify Rendi’s status, help secure his outstanding rights and investigate the recruitment agent who brought him to the battlefield.
Natuna Police chief Sr. Adj. Come. Novyan Aries Efendy said authorities were still verifying information about Rendi and coordinating with relevant agencies to investigate the case.
“We are coordinating with the Immigration Office first and collecting data,” Novyan said on Tuesday.
Natuna Regent Cen Sui Lan said her administration was coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and communicating with Rendi’s family over the case.
“The information we have received is still unclear. If he has indeed died, we hope there will be a solution so that he can be brought home as soon as possible,” she said on Wednesday as quoted by Detik.com.
Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and Belarus Jose Antonio Morato Tavares said the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow had received dozens of reports from families about Indonesian citizens who were allegedly recruited to fight for Russia after being promised high salaries.
“The embassy has received dozens of calls from relatives reporting that family members were suspected of being recruited as mercenaries. Sometimes it is the Indonesians themselves who are already in Russia who contact us,” Jose said on Sept. 18 as quoted by state news agency Antara.
He said embassy officials had encountered several Indonesians who travelled to Russia but failed physical screening for military service. The embassy helped facilitate their return to Indonesia, he said.
“In some cases, Indonesian Embassy staff have even encountered prospective recruits at the airport. They were informed of the risks and eventually decided to return home,” Jose said.
Jose said recruitment agents were using social media to target Indonesians with promises of high salaries, often without providing clear information about the nature of the work or the terms of the contracts.
Indonesian law restricts citizens from voluntarily serving in the armed forces of another country without government approval, and such service may result in the loss of Indonesian citizenship.
Read also: Govt revokes citizenship of former navy personnel who allegedly joined Russian military
Munira Mustaffa, founder and executive director of Malaysia-based security research and consulting firm Chasseur Group, said while some foreigners had joined the Russian military voluntarily, others reportedly have been deceived about the nature of the work they were being offered.
“Some were offered blue-collar jobs with high salaries in Russia. But after arriving, their passports were confiscated and they were given one or two weeks of military training before being sent to the frontline,” she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Mustaffa said such recruitment methods were similar to those used in human trafficking operations that lure Indonesians with job offers to scam compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia.
“This makes it very tricky because whether they joined a foreign military willingly or were deceived into doing so will greatly affect how the Indonesian government treats them,” she said.
Earlier this month, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said Indonesian missions in Russia and Ukraine, along with relevant agencies, were investigating the backgrounds of eight Indonesians reportedly fighting for Russia.
Authorities were also investigating whether the eight may have been victims of employment fraud or trafficking. If confirmed, the government would activate its citizen protection protocols.
