Overview

• Reports from Janes suggest Russia officially requested to base aircraft at Manuhua Air Force Base in Papua, Indonesia, a claim denied by Indonesian and Australian officials.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles have refused to confirm or deny the existence of such a request, labeling the reports as Russian propaganda.
• Russia's ambassador to Indonesia criticized Australian leaders for using the 'Russian card' to escalate tensions and asserted that Russia's military cooperation with Indonesia is non-threatening.
• The Australian opposition has demanded a formal briefing on the matter, accusing the government of withholding critical national security information.
• Indonesia's historical stance of non-alignment and its defense agreements with Australia, including the 2006 Lombok Treaty and 2024 Defence Cooperation Agreement, underscore its rejection of foreign military bases.