An occupation court in the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” (”LPR”) on May 16 sentenced Australian Oscar Charles Augustus Jenkins, who fought against Russia on the side of Ukraine, to 13 years in a maximum-security prison. Russia found him guilty of fighting as a mercenary.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was “shocked” by the verdict, calling it a “show trial”. She called on Russia to treat Jenkins in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Russia charged the Australian with mercenary service in April of this year. According to the Russian version, Oscar Jenkins came from Melbourne to Ukraine in February 2024 to fight against the Russian army. In Ternopil, he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, received military equipment and weapons, and was sent to serve in the village of Shchurove in the Donetsk region.
From March to December 2024, as they say in Russia, he participated in battles against the Russian military and received a monthly payment for this — from 600 to 800 thousand rubles (approximately $7–10 thousand per month). At the same time, when the prosecutorʼs office of occupied Luhansk accused Oscar of being a mercenary, they claimed that he fought against the Russian army from March to December 2024 and received from $11 000 to $15 000 per month for this. According to the Russian side, "his criminal activity has been stopped".
The Kremlin claims that mercenaries are subject to criminal prosecution and are not entitled to the protection of prisoners of war under international law.
Ukraineʼs Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has denied the allegations. He stressed that the soldier has an official contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so international law applies to him. Accordingly, Jenkins should be treated as a prisoner of war.
“I was not surprised, because I have seen many other foreigners who have been charged in Russia, including some journalists. We hope and do not lose hope that eventually we will be able to exchange him [Jenkins],” said Myroshnychenko.
Australia is also not giving up on its citizen and will continue to defend him, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier.
What preceded
Oscar Jenkins served in the 402nd Separate Rifle Battalion, part of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Jenkins signed a contract to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on April 4, 2024.
While performing a combat mission near Mykolaivka in the Luhansk region on December 16, 2024, he went missing. On the same day, his name was added to the lists of fighters held in Russian captivity.
In December 2024, Russian military propagandists released a video purporting to show Jenkins being interrogated and beaten.
In January, Australian broadcaster ABC and CNN affiliate Seven News, citing unnamed sources in Ukraine, reported that an Australian had likely been killed in Russian captivity. Australia summoned the Russian ambassador over the information. The Slidstvo.Info project later verified that a video showing the body of the alleged Australian prisoner turned out to be a four-year-old recording from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia later provided information about Jenkins through the Australian Foreign Ministry. According to the Russian ambassador, the captured Australian was in custody at the time and his health was described as normal.
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