Indonesia: Controversy erupts as ex-soldier fighting for Russia calls for help. “Due to my ignorance, I signed a contract with the Russian ministry of defence, which resulted in the revocation of my citizenship. […] I humbly ask for your magnanimity to help me terminate this contract and restore my right to citizenship so I can return to Indonesia.” The video, which has been viewed over 1 million times, is causing a stir in Indonesia, where the man featured is far from unknown.
According to France24.com, back in early May 2025, he had already made headlines after the same TikTok account, @zstorm689, posted two photos of him in both Indonesian military and Russian uniforms. The caption accompanying that post read: “Marines are now fighting with Russia in Ukraine.” It’s difficult to know exactly how long the man has been in Ukraine.
Kumbara’s LinkedIn activity between April and July 2024 indicates he expressed interest in positions across various countries. These included roles such as a guard in Kuwait, a protective security specialist in Iraq, or an engineering department head in Indonesia. “I’m interested, but I come from Indonesia, is it possible? with 16 years of ex-marines experience,” he commented on a job posting. It remains unclear whether he had already left Indonesia at that time.
The first TikTok posts showing him in Russia date back to March 2025. We were able to trace part of his journey using photos published on another TikTok account, @satria_piek689. The account claims to be a “2nd account @zstorm689” and features many videos identical to those mentioned previously, which suggests it is managed by the same person. Images show him in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then at Ufa Airport, in the central Russian region of Bashkortostan.
“Traveled through Malaysia yesterday before getting to Moscow… Jakarta-Malaysia-Qatar-Moscow,” he wrote, in response to a comment on one of his videos. Several images later show him in plain clothes near a central square in Ishimbay, a city located about 150 kilometers south of Ufa. From mid-April 2025, photos and videos published on TikTok and Facebook depict him wearing the Russian uniform, alongside other soldiers. The combat location, however, cannot be determined from these posts.
Satria Arta Kumbara told Indonesian media outlet Republika on May 10 that he was not a mercenary but “a regular soldier in the Russian army”. He said he was in Ukraine, fighting with “citizens from China, Cameroon, Ghana, and Colombia”.
The reasons for Kumbara’s decision to join Russia remain unclear. “I have never betrayed the country. My intention in coming here was solely to make a living,” he claims in the recently published video. In early June, he also shared a video on Facebook, in which he defended this same narrative, criticizing his detractors and the corruption of authorities. “Those who are busy stealing the people’s money are protected. Those who try to make money abroad with their passion and their own skills are harassed,” he said in the video.
Four days after the recent video was published, the Marine Corps commander claimed that Kumbara went to Russia because he was in debt. He stated he suspects the man borrowed money to “cover his hedonistic lifestyle”, and then turned to online gambling to repay his debts, without success. We were unable to confirm these statements. The exact reasons behind the soldier’s desire to return home also remain unclear. “Maybe he didn’t get enough money. The situation on the front line is also getting worse,” said Radityo Dharmaputra, the head of the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies at Airlangga University in Indonesia.
Indonesian society is now grappling with the question of the soldier’s future. “The citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia means everything to me and is priceless,” Kumbara said in the viral video, appealing for help from Indonesia’s president, vice-president, and foreign minister. The justice minister had confirmed back in May 2025 that Satria Arta Kumbara’s enlistment in Russia resulted in the loss of his Indonesian citizenship. The soldier, however, claims he was unaware of any such mechanism.
The debate over how to respond to Kumbara is “polarised” in the country, Dharmaputra told the FRANCE 24 Observers. He says that while many scholars and military experts have highlighted that Kumbara violated the law, the soldier has nonetheless garnered significant support from a considerable portion of the general public: “The problem is that in Indonesia, it’s very difficult to find jobs. The situation is not as good as it was a couple of years ago. Salaries in the army are quite low, but it’s a problem with a lot of jobs in Indonesia.”
You have to see that the way [Kumbara] framed the situation perfectly resonates with the situation in Indonesia, especially with regard to corruption. So there are some residents who say his statement is reasonable. They say: “There are no jobs in Indonesia. He got a job, got paid, and now he lost his citizenship, while all these officials that we really hate, they’re still safe.”
This public support also comes as a segment of the Indonesian population more broadly backs Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, Dharmaputra said. Recent revelations about Kumbara’s lifestyle, however, could shift public opinion, according to Dharmaputra. Online gambling, though banned in Indonesia, has seen a surge in popularity lately, leading to a series of incidents and prompting government action.
Following the video’s release, several authorities have appeared reluctant to engage in the debate. The Indonesian Navy stated that Satria Arta Kumbara is no longer a part of the country’s armed forces, adding that they would not respond to Satria’s request and would respect the 2023 court decision. The ministry of foreign affairs said it is continuing to “monitor the whereabouts and communicate with the person concerned”. It added that the matter falls under the authority of the ministry of justice, which affirmed, for its part, that the only way to regain citizenship in this case is to “submit a citizenship application to the president”.
The Indonesian government also asserted on July 25 that it was currently reviewing Satria Arta Kumbara’s request, arguing that the deliberations “cannot be rushed” due to “legal, immigration, and strategic military implications”. Regardless, authorities have urged Indonesians not to follow Satria Arta Kumbara’s example. The head of the ministry of defense’s information bureau stated, “We hope that the entire public will be more cautious when receiving offers to join [the armies of other countries].”