Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has asked Indonesia about a report in defence publication Janes that Russia has requested basing military aircraft in Papua, as the issue dominated Ausralia's election campaign on Tuesday. "We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region," Albanese told reporters. Janes reported that Jakarta has received an official request from Moscow, seeking permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua.