Russia has filed criminal charges against Australian man Oscar Jenkins, four months after he was captured by Vladimir Putin‘s forces while fighting for Ukraine.
Mr Jenkins, 32, a teacher from Melbourne, had travelled to the war zone and was serving with Ukraine’s military when he was detained by Russian soldiers in December last year.
In a statement issued on Friday, Russian authorities confirmed Mr Jenkins would be tried for his alleged role with Ukrainian forces.
‘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 is 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 an 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.
If found guilty, Mr Jenkins could be jailed for up to 15 years.
‘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 authorities allege.
Oscar Jenkins, 32, faces up to 15 years in prison after allegedly fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine
Jenkins, a teacher from Melbourne, was captured in December 2024 while serving in Ukraine’s military
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian government would continue to push for Mr Jenkins’ release.
‘We’ll continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin on behalf of Mr Jenkins,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘We will stand up and use whatever avenues we have at our disposal to continue to make those representations.’
Last month, 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.
The Albanese Government has renewed calls for Oscar Jenkins (pictured) to be released from Russian captivity
Russian authorities claim Jenkins received monthly payments of $11,000 to $15,000 for his involvement in combat
Government officials had ‘grave concerns’ for Mr Jenkins earlier this year following unconfirmed reports he had been executed, only for him to be reported as 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.
‘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 is ‘not dead’.
The Russian jokes 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.
‘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.
