Russia officially sentenced Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins to 13 years in prison for participating in hostilities on Ukraine’s side, which has caused an international uproar and sparked a new high-profile scandal surrounding the military conflict
According to reports from Russian law enforcement agencies and local prosecutors, the verdict was handed down in territory controlled by Russia in the Luhansk region — an area under pro-Russian separatist control for several years. Based on charges of mercenarism and active involvement in military actions against Russia, the 33-year-old Australian was found guilty of violating the law and sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony. Jenkins was detained in December 2024, and since then his detention in Russian captivity has become a subject of ongoing diplomatic disputes between Canberra and Moscow. The Australian government has repeatedly demanded his release, calling for adherence to international humanitarian standards and laws regarding the detained individual. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is convinced that the Russian court’s decision is unacceptable and politicized, describing the process as a “show trial.” She emphasized the need to protect Oscar Jenkins’s rights and added that Australia is closely cooperating with Ukraine, the Red Cross, and other international partners to secure his swift release. In her statements, Wong stressed that the Australian government is deeply concerned about the health and safety of its citizen in Russian captivity. According to her, Australia is doing everything possible to attract international attention to this case and is actively engaging in diplomatic work with partner countries and international organizations to facilitate his release. Russian prosecutors claim that Oscar Jenkins was paid for his participation in combat against Russian troops. According to their data, his earnings ranged from $7,400 to $10,000 USD per month. The Kremlin explicitly states that mercenaries fighting for foreign interests in Ukraine are stripped of any status as prisoners of war and are not entitled to the protections granted under international humanitarian law. Public photos and videos released by Russian media depict Jenkins inside a glass cage with his hands tied. Reports assert that he joined the so-called “International Battalion,” which fights as part of Ukrainian forces. Footage of his arrest, circulated on Russian Telegram channels, shows him speaking a mixture of English, Ukrainian, and Russian, identifying himself as a “soldier,” and claiming he works as a teacher in China and studies in Australia. In the footage, there is a moment when one of the captors hits Jenkins on the head. Following reports earlier in the year about his supposed death, the Australian government immediately summoned the Russian ambassador in protest and called for his immediate release. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assured that Australia is prepared to take “the harshest measures” if information about harm or the death of the citizen is confirmed. The background to this conflict indicates that earlier this year, Australian media, citing official sources, reported that Russian soldiers allegedly killed Jenkins during his captivity. This caused a widespread diplomatic outcry in Canberra. The government assured that they would do everything possible and are even ready to take decisive measures if this horrific news is confirmed. Subsequently, on January 29, Albanese announced that Russia had informed Australia that Jenkins, who fought for Ukraine and had previously been declared dead, is likely alive and in captivity. It is known that at least five American volunteers have died on the front lines in Ukraine over the past six months; two of them were repatriated this past Friday. In total, more than 20 foreign nationals fighting on Ukraine’s side are currently missing or in captivity, highlighting the complexity and danger of the situation on the Ukrainian front and underscoring the international dimension of the Ukrainian-Russian war.