Russian Ambassador Writes to Indonesian Newspaper Over Alleged Misrepresentation of Facts on Ukraine

Jakarta — Russia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, has written a letter to the Editor-in-Chief of The Independent Observer, stating that there are serious inaccuracies in reporting related to Ukraine. According to him, the article titled “Indonesia and Ukraine United by Music” by Tamalia Alisjahbana, published in the December 12–18, 2025 issue, contains incorrect descriptions of the situation in Ukraine.

Ambassador Tolchenov said that the claim in the article that “40,000 Ukrainian children were abducted by Russia” does not correspond to reality. He stated that an audit revealed many children listed by the Ukrainian side had never traveled to the territory of the Russian Federation, and that the list even included 50 adults. He clarified that once legal guardians are identified, the children are immediately reunited with their families, emphasizing that this is a “matter of honor” for Russia.

The letter recalls that while representatives of Western countries continue to politicize the issue of the so-called “deportation of Ukrainian children,” representatives of the Global Majority and the Global South have urged that children should not be turned into subjects of political speculation and propaganda. They have reportedly stressed that the issue should be resolved through legitimate political and diplomatic means.

Ambassador Tolchenov also referred to the draft resolution titled “Return of Ukrainian Children” presented on December 3, 2025, at the 11th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to him, the fact that 102 out of 193 UN member states did not support the resolution in any form clearly reflects the position of the international community.

The letter further states that the narrative of the so-called “charity event” held in Jakarta on December 5 exposed the organizers’ intention to place blame on Russia. It alleges that no evidence was presented to substantiate the accusations made at the event, while the issue of thousands of Ukrainian minors taken to Europe and losing contact with their families was not mentioned at all.

The ambassador commented that attempts by European and NATO countries to prolong the Ukrainian crisis in order to fulfill their self-serving political agendas have not succeeded as expected. Nevertheless, he reiterated that Russia continues sincere and consistent efforts toward family reunification and remains ready to engage in constructive cooperation with international mediators.