Australian Teacher Sentenced to 13 Years in Russian Prison for Combat Role in Ukraine

Oscar Jenkins, a 33-year-old Australian teacher, has been sentenced to 13 years in a Russian prison after being convicted of mercenary activity while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.

An Australian man named Oscar Jenkins has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum security prison by a court operating under Russian authority in Luhansk, a region of Ukraine currently controlled by Russia. Captured last December, Jenkins, 33, was found guilty of participating in armed conflict as a mercenary during a trial held on Friday.

Jenkins, who hails from Melbourne, reportedly arrived in Ukraine in February 2024. Russian prosecutors have claimed that he was being compensated between 600,000 and 800,000 rubles, equivalent to approximately £5,504 to £7,339, for his involvement in military operations against Russian troops.

In December of last year, a video emerged showing Jenkins being interrogated by Russian forces while his hands were tied. During the questioning, the soldiers asked him if he was receiving payment to fight in the conflict.

In response to the developments surrounding Jenkins, the Australian government summoned the Russian ambassador in January after erroneous reports about Jenkins' death surfaced following his capture. Since then, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated the government's commitment to advocating for Jenkins' release, expressing concerns over Russia's actions.

In a related case, a British national, James Scott Rhys Anderson, was sentenced in March to 19 years for similar charges, marking a notable precedent as the first British citizen convicted in Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Tensions in the region have escalated since Russia's illegal recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent territories shortly before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading to continuous fighting in the area since 2014.