Fact Check: How a Resurfaced 2025 News Reel Re-Ignited Unfounded Claims of a Russian Airbase in Indonesia
KUALA LUMPUR — A resurfaced 2025 news broadcast clip circulating on Facebook Reels has re-ignited online speculation alleging that Russia is seeking to station long-range military aircraft in eastern Indonesia.
The viral video snippet—originally broadcast by Australia’s 9News Sydney on April 15, 2025—features Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles expressing concern over reports that Moscow lodged a request to operate military bombers from Manuhua Air Force Base on Biak Island, Papua.
9News Sydney broadcast video published on Facebook, in this 9News details Australian officials seeking clarification over reports that Russia lodged a request to access an airbase in eastern Indonesia, approximately 1,300 kilometres north of Darwin, an issue originally raised during Australia’s April 2025 federal election campaign before Indonesian authorities formally dismissed the report. (Video: Facebook/9News Sydney / The Malaysia Times)
While the clip is authentic, its recent recirculation without temporal context has misled social media users into believing the security alarm is a current, ongoing crisis in late 2026.
The 2025 Incident and Immediate Rejection
The original controversy arose in April 2025 following international defense reports alleging that Moscow sought access to Biak Island—located approximately 1,300 kilometers north of Darwin—to stage long-range aircraft.
The prospect drew immediate reaction from Canberra, with Prime Minister Albanese stating that Australia opposed expanding Russian military influence in the Indo-Pacific.
However, the diplomatic friction was short-lived. Within 24 hours of the news report on April 16, 2025, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles held direct talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
The Indonesian government firmly dismissed the reports as baseless, confirming that no foreign military bases would be permitted on Indonesian soil. Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas Inkiriwang reiterated that Indonesia’s constitutional foreign policy doctrine (“bebas dan aktif” / independent and active) strictly prohibits permanent foreign military troop deployments or operational bases.
Current Reality: Civilian Spaceport, Not Military Basing
Far from hosting Russian bomber squadrons, bilateral engagements surrounding Biak Island have centered strictly on civilian aerospace ventures.
In late August 2026, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov addressed the ongoing rumors directly during a media briefing in Jakarta. Tolchenov explicitly confirmed that Russia has no intention or necessity to establish a military base on Indonesian territory.
Instead, discussions between Russia’s state space agency Roscosmos and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) focus on the feasibility of constructing a commercial, civilian spaceport on Biak Island for satellite launch operations.
Digital media analysts remind the public that recirculating outdated broadcast clips without dates remains a common tactic for generating algorithmic engagement, underscoring the necessity of verifying video timestamps against official diplomatic records.
. The Malaysia Times .
