Russia has sentenced an Australian citizen to 13 years in a maximum-security prison for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
Oscar Jenkins, 33, was found guilty by a court for taking part in an armed conflict as a mercenary, a statement from prosecutors said on Friday.
The court had ruled he had taken part in combat operations against Russian troops between March and December 2024.
Australian media reported in 2024 that Jenkins, a teacher from Melbourne, was serving alongside Ukraine’s military when he was captured by Russian forces in December.
In January, Australia summoned the Russian ambassador over what turned out to be false reports that Jenkins had been killed after being captured by Russia before he was confirmed alive in Russian captivity a fortnight later.
That footage showed Mr Jenkins dressed in a heavy coat, beanie and army gear, answering questions – believed to be from a Russian captor.
He was asked to confirm his identity and the date in English, claiming it was January 17, 2025.
‘Tell us about your health condition, about your mood. Are you okay?’ the man filming asked.
Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins, 33, (pictured) has been sentenced to 13 years in a Russian maximum-security prison after fighting alongside Ukrainian forces
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia has appealed for Jenkins’ release
‘I would like more freedom,’ Jenkins replied.
‘I feel a bit weak. I’ve lost a lot of weight. I have a broken arm still, I think, and my hand is not good.’
The man behind the camera said Mr Jenkins was a prisoner of war from the 66th Mechanised Brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine.
‘You are alive, so the information about your death is not right?’ the cameraman asked.
‘Correct,’ Mr Jenkins answered.
In February, footage emerged that appeared to show Russian soldiers performing medical tests on Mr Jenkins’ emaciated body and joking that he was ‘not dead’.
The Russian joked that Mr Jenkins’ blood pressure would be ‘zero’ if he was dead, according to a translation by the ABC.
He was then instructed to remove his beanie.
Russian authorities claimed Jenkins received monthly payments of $11,000 to $15,000 for his involvement in combat
Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has previously vowed to negotiate for Jenkins’ release
‘Everything is okay. He is alive and I think he will [be] better,’ the cameraman said.
News of his prisoner status first made headlines in December after footage emerged of the Australian being paraded in front of a Russian soldier.
Mr Jenkins at the time told the camera he’d been fighting with Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region.
Russian authorities confirmed Mr Jenkins would be trialled for his alleged role with Ukrainian forces in April.
‘The Prosecutor’s Office of the Lugansk People’s Republic approved the indictment in the criminal case against 33-year-old citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia Oscar Charles Augustus Jenkins,’ Russian authorities said.
Mr Jenkins was accused of entering Ukraine in February 2024 and engaging in combat against Russian forces from March to December, during which he allegedly received monthly payments ranging from $11,000 to $15,000, according to the indictment cited by local media.
Once the indictment was signed off, the case was escalated to the Supreme Court of the Lugansk People’s Republic.
‘A citizen of Australia, on his own initiative, in order to receive material remuneration, arrived on the territory of Ukraine to participate as a mercenary in an armed conflict with the Russian Federation on the side of enemy troops,’ local Russian authorities alleged.
Jenkins, a teacher from Melbourne, was captured in December 2024 while serving in Ukraine’s military
Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has previously said his government added Jenkins to its list of prisoners of war and would negotiate for his release in an exchange.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Australia has made representations to Ukraine, including a one-on-one discussion he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In March, British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson was sentenced to 19 years in prison by a Russian court for fighting for Ukraine, after being captured in November in the Kursk region.
He was convicted on charges of terrorism and ‘mercenary activities’.
Unlike prisoners of war, who are protected under the Geneva Convention, foreigners fighting for Ukraine are labeled ‘mercenaries’ by Moscow and can be prosecuted under Russian law.
