Indonesia has assured Australia that no Russian military aircraft will be stationed at an airbase in its Papua province, dismissing recent reports as false, according to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed on Wednesday that Indonesia has provided clear assurances denying any intention to host Russian military aircraft at an airbase in its easternmost province of Papua.
Marles said he spoke directly with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who rejected a recent report suggesting Russia had lodged a request to deploy long-range warplanes at Manuhua Air Force Base, located in Biak Numfor, roughly 1,300 kilometres from the Australian city of Darwin.
The matter gained political attention after Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton raised the issue during an election campaign, claiming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had been informed of the situation. Dutton’s remarks followed a report by the defence publication Janes, which alleged that Russia sought to station aircraft at the site.
Marles firmly dismissed both the report and Dutton’s claims, stating that Indonesia had made it “utterly clear” such reports were “completely false” and the country had “no intention” of hosting Russian aircraft. He also criticised Dutton for suggesting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had publicly confirmed Russia's request, calling it “completely wrong.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with President Prabowo in Jakarta to discuss trade relations, including progress on a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said they hoped to finalise the agreement by the time of Prabowo’s expected visit to Russia for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for 18–21 June.
Indonesia has denied reports that Russia requested to base military aircraft in Papua, dismissing claims that raised alarm in Australia. Officials reaffirm no such deal exists, as both Indonesia and Australia stress their close defence relationship.
Indonesian authorities have arrested three judges involved in the acquittal of major palm oil firms in a high-profile corruption case, deepening a growing scandal that has now implicated the chief judge of South Jakarta District Court and several legal officials.
Rebels in Indonesia’s Papua region have claimed responsibility for killing more than 17 individuals since the weekend, accusing them of being soldiers disguised as gold miners. The insurgents also stated that they are holding two hostages.
Indonesia seeks a fair and equal trade relationship with the U.S. after the imposition of a 32% tariff, aiming for diplomacy and negotiations instead of retaliation. The country is considering increasing imports of U.S. goods and offering tax cuts in response to the tariffs.
Indonesia will not retaliate against U.S. trade tariffs, opting instead to pursue dialogue and negotiations, a senior official said Sunday in the government’s first response to the measures imposed by President Donald Trump.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended Moscow’s support for the ongoing indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, offering to mediate or assist in any way that would be beneficial to Tehran and acceptable to Washington.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
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