No Russian Planes in Papua, Indonesian Minister Tells Australia

Australia has received direct assurances from Indonesia that it will not allow Russian military aircraft to operate from a base in Papua province, following reports that Moscow had requested access to the facility.

Defence Minister Richard Marles was quoted as saying by reports on Tuesday that he had spoken to his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who assured him that “reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true.”

The comments came after a report by U.S.-based military news site claimed that Russia had asked Indonesia for permission to base long-range aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base on Biak Island, located roughly 1,300 kilometers from northern Australia.

Marles emphasized the strength of Australia’s growing defence ties with Indonesia, stating, “Last year, we signed a defence cooperation agreement with Indonesia, which is the deepest level defence agreement we've ever had.” He added, “We will keep engaging with Indonesia in a way that befits a very

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters his government was still seeking clarification but reiterated Canberra’s opposition to Russian military expansion. “We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region,” he said. “We stand with Ukraine. We regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law.”

Although the Indonesian defence minister said he had not received any request from Russia, that does not rule out the possibility that the matter was discussed at lower levels.

In 2017, Russia conducted a patrol mission from the same base using nuclear-capable bombers, which Australian analysts believe was an intelligence-gathering operation.

Lowy Institute research fellow Abdul Rahman Yaacob noted the location’s strategic significance, saying the base is roughly 2,000 kilometers from Guam and ideal for monitoring Western Pacific movements.

Russia has expanded its defence engagement with Indonesia in recent years. Joint naval drills were held in the Java Sea last November, and Russian military officials visited Jakarta multiple times in 2023. Indonesia also formally joined the BRICS group in January 2024, signalling closer ties with Moscow and other non-Western powers.