Indonesia, Russia to Hold First Joint Naval Drills

Indonesia and Russia are set to conduct their first joint naval exercises next month, Jakarta’s navy announced on Tuesday, marking a significant diplomatic move under Indonesia’s newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto.

The joint drills, scheduled for November 4-8 in the Java Sea near Surabaya, reflect Prabowo’s promise to bolster Indonesia’s presence on the global stage, particularly with nations outside the usual sphere of Western influence.

The exercises underscore Indonesia’s commitment to a neutral foreign policy. Southeast Asia’s largest economy has consistently avoided siding in the Ukraine conflict and refrained from aligning with major global powers like the U.S. and China. Instead, Prabowo, who visited Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, seeks to deepen relations with Russia through these unprecedented exercises.

The Indonesian navy, known locally as TNI AL, hailed the event as a “milestone bilateral exercise” with Russia, noting that Moscow will deploy three corvette-class warships, a medium tanker, a military helicopter, and a tugboat for the drills. Sergey Tolchenov, the Russian ambassador to Indonesia, confirmed the exercises, assuring they are not directed toward any adversary but instead aim to “increase the capabilities and potential of our two fleets.”

Indonesia’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been one of advocating for peace. The previous Indonesian leader, Joko Widodo, was the first Asian head of state to visit both Kyiv and Moscow following the war’s onset in 2022, though Prabowo’s own attempts at peace talks as defense minister last year received criticism from Ukraine.

In another step toward fortifying global alliances, Indonesia recently initiated its application to join the BRICS group, the economic bloc comprising Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. Foreign Minister Sugiono, recently appointed and referred to by one name, announced Jakarta’s intent at the BRICS Plus summit in Kazan, Russia, last week.