Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Navy confirmed that Second Sergeant Satria Arta Kumbara was officially dismissed from service after joining a Russian military operation, a case that recently went viral on TikTok through the account @zstorm689.

The Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral I Made Wira Hadi said over the weekend that Satria had been court-martialed in absentia by the Military Court II-08 Jakarta on 6 April 2023, and sentenced to one year in prison and dishonorably discharged, according to antaranews.com. 

Satria had been declared deserter since 13 June 2022, after abandoning his post in the Marine Inspectorate Corps (Itkomar) and has remained absent to date.

The viral videos show a man wearing both Indonesian Navy and Russian military uniforms, claiming he is now serving in Ukraine. The Navy later confirmed the man is indeed Satria, following public speculation.

This unusual and controversial case has sparked online discussions about military discipline, international involvement of ex-soldiers, and national security concerns.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)