Share and Follow

Key Points
  • Russia has asked for access to an Indonesian air base.
  • Indonesia has assured Australia it will not consider the request.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia will continue to engage with Indonesia on the matter.
Defence Minister Richard Marles says that Indonesia has assured Australia that it will not allow Russia to access one of its military bases.
On Tuesday, military website Janes published an article claiming that Russia had asked Indonesia to base long-range aircraft at the Manuhua air force base, on Biak Island off the Indonesian province of Papua.
In a statement, Marles said he had spoken to his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin who had told him that “reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true”.
has previously made ad hoc requests to land planes at the base, Janes reported.
Earlier, Marles said Indonesia has a “close relationship with Australia” and was engaging with the country’s officials “at a senior level”.
“We have a growing defence relationship with Indonesia. We will keep engaging with Indonesia in a way, that befits a very close friend and a very close friendship between our two countries,” he told reporters.
“Last year, we signed a defence cooperation agreement with Indonesia, which is the deepest level defence agreement we’ve ever had with Indonesia, and we are seeing increasing cooperation between Australia and Indonesia at a defence level.

“I expect all of that to continue in respect of this particular issue.”

A man standing outside, wearing a blue suit and tie and white shirt standing partially side-on. The background is blurred.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is strong. Source: AAP / Jono Searle

Opposition leader Peter Dutton called Putin a “murderous dictator” later on Tuesday.

“This would be a catastrophic failure of diplomatic relations if Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese didn’t have forewarning about this before it was made public,” he said.
“This is a very, very troubling development and suggestion that somehow Russia would have some of their assets based in Indonesia only a short distance from, obviously, the north of our country. We need to make sure that the government explains exactly what has happened here.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated his support for Ukraine and said “we obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region”.

“We have a position, which is we stand with Ukraine, we regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, who’s attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine.”

In January Indonesia officially joined the Russia-led BRICS group, which seeks to form greater cooperation between non-Western economies.
Lowy Institute research fellow Abdul Rahman Yaacob said the request from Russia was an: “Interesting development.”
“The proposed air base is about 2,000 km from Guam and strategically located for Russian long-range aircraft monitoring Guam and the Western Pacific,” Yaacob wrote on LinkedIn.

 For the latest from SBS News, and .
Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Understanding the Impact: Examining the Clinics Affected by Trump’s Actions

Fadumo (not her real name), a widowed mother of three, walked for…

A majority of older Australians support Labor’s proposal to tax supers exceeding $3 million

More than half of older Australians support increasing taxes on high superannuation…
Premier's pledge after visiting fire-damaged synagogue

Leader’s promise after visiting synagogue damaged by fire

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has vowed to provide all necessary support to…
Concerns grow for former Sydney society 'It' girl and celebrity stylist Kelly Smythe after she was accused of shocking forgery scam

Growing Concern for Celebrity Stylist Kelly Smythe Following Accusations of an Alarming Forgery Scam

Friends of Sydney socialite and stylist Kelly Smythe are growing concerned in…
Crew abandons ship in Red Sea after 'drone boat' attack

Crew leaves ship in Red Sea following a drone boat assault

Crew members aboard a Liberian-flagged ship set ablaze by a series of…
Rows of bottled water.

Is Australia Likely to Ban Tap Water like France?

Residents in a small French town have been banned from drinking tap…
TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 6: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'IRANIAN LEADER PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes his first public appearance since the war with Israel by attending an Ashura ceremony in Tehran, Iran, on July 6, 2025. Khamenei, who did not join the previous three nights of Muharram mourning events held at his residence on Palestine Street, participated

Iran’s top leader appears in public for the first time since the beginning of Iran-Israel conflict

Khamenei’s absence during the war suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader,…

From saving to scrutinizing: Understanding the DNA testing business

There was something about the way three police officers surrounded Michael Usry…