In January this year, Ukraine’s National Resistance Centre accused Russia of recruiting a few Malaysians as mercenaries in the ongoing conflict between the two countries. The report claimed these hired soldiers were accompanied by a translator and a former ‘Wagner’ member in the occupied territories of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. However, Inspector General of the Royal Malaysia Police, Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, denied these allegations.
Now, the topic has resurfaced after a Twitter post by user @/Zlatti_71 went viral on Monday (28th October), showing images of official Malaysian documents allegedly found on a battlefield between Russia and Ukraine. The documents included a Malaysian identity card and a Malaysian driving license, sparking renewed discussions online.
The origin of these images traces back to several pro-Russia observer groups on Telegram, claiming that Russian soldiers recovered the documents after breaking through a Ukrainian stronghold in Livadny, Zaporizhia. The Malaysian driving license shown in the viral photos lists an expiry date of February 2025, with the card owner reportedly from Padang Besar, Perlis.
While the details on the identity card are unclear, it’s unmistakably an official MyKad. Alongside the Malaysian documents, other government-issued records from countries such as Ukraine, Turkiye, and Croatia were also found. Currently, the status of the Malaysians allegedly involved remains unknown, and authorities have yet to address the issue.
Malaysian netizens are understandably baffled by this revelation, with many criticising the alleged mercenaries involved for choosing to fight for another country rather than their homeland. Some shared theories on possible reasons why these ‘traitors’ may have joined, while others joked about the similar colours of the Ukrainian and Perlis flags, suggesting that the individual might have confused the two.
What do you think of this issue?
Alia contributed to this article.
