Indonesian Citizen Dies as Russian Mercenary on First Day of Fighting in Donetsk
An Indonesian citizen (WNI), Muhammad Taufiq, was reportedly killed in combat in Donetsk on his very first day serving as a Russian mercenary. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (DIU) revealed that the man, born in Sorong on May 22, 1978, had only undergone a bit over a week of military training before being deployed.
Taufiq, who used to live in Surabaya and once worked as a taxi driver in Jakarta, signed a contract with the Russian military in Korolyov, Moscow on April 19, 2026 for a one-year period. He was assigned as a machine gunner and went through training near Voronezh, before getting killed while Russian units were trying to advance from Zelena Dolyna toward Novoselivka and Drobysheve.
The DIU noted that since the war started in February 2022, nearly 46,000 mercenaries from 151 countries have signed contracts with Russia's military.
https://www.gelora.co/2026/10/
Really such a shame. 48 years old and still willing to be a mercenary, must be some serious financial pressure behind it. Our government needs to pay attention to this.