Russia Bombing Ukraine, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Make Sure 34 Indonesian Citizens And Indonesian Embassy In Kyiv Are Safe

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensures that Indonesian citizens (WNI) and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Ukraine are safe, after Russia bombarded the capital Kyiv and a number of cities in the country yesterday.

"There are a total of 34 Indonesian citizens in Ukraine, including the staff of the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv. Their condition is safe after the Russian missile attack on Kyiv. The Indonesian Embassy staff all work at the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv," said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah when confirmed Tuesday, October 11.

Russia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during peak hours on Monday morning, killing civilians, causing power cuts and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin declared in retaliation for Ukraine's attacks, including on bridges to Crimea.

In the middle of the morning, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraine's air defenses had shot down 43 of them. Police said at least five people were killed and 12 injured in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said attacks during peak hours Monday were deliberately carried out to kill people, as well as to cripple Ukraine's power grids.

Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no Indonesian citizens (WNI) were affected by Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territory.

Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and BHI of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha explained that currently there are 34 Indonesian citizens who chose to stay in Ukraine and were not evacuated to Indonesia in early March after the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine.

"Of the dozens of Indonesian citizens who still live in Ukraine, we noted that several people were in conflict areas," Judha said while giving information to the media online on Friday, October 7.

Judha said that the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv, which is still fully operating in Ukraine, continues to communicate and monitor the condition of Indonesian citizens. The Indonesian citizens who are still in Ukraine are mostly Indonesian women who are married to Ukrainians, so they choose to stay with their families.