Category
Latest news

Oscar Jenkins, Australian Volunteer, Gets 13-Year Sentence in Russian-Backed Luhansk

1 min read
Authors
Photo of Liubava Petriv
Liubava Petriv
Author
Oscar Jenkins, Australian Volunteer, Gets 13-Year Sentence in Russian-Backed Luhansk
The so-called Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic has sentenced Australian national Oscar Jenkins to 13 years in a high-security penal colony on charges of acting as a mercenary. (Source: Internet)

On May 16, the Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic  (LNR) sentenced a former schoolteacher and volunteer from Australia, Oscar Jenkins, to 13 years in a high-security penal colony on charges of mercenary activity.

According to the investigation, Jenkins arrived in Ukraine from Melbourne in February 2024 with the intent to take part in combat operations.

He reportedly signed a contract with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in Ternopil and was then deployed to the village of Shchurove in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region. He was detained in December 2024.

The so-called LNR prosecutor’s office claims that from March to December 2024, Jenkins participated in military actions against Russian forces, receiving monthly payments between 600,000 and 800,000 rubles (approximately $7,500 to $10,000 USD).

Considering the prosecution’s position, the court found Jenkins guilty under Article 359, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code and handed down the 13-year sentence in a high-security penal colony.

On January 29, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that Jenkins was alive after previous reports of him stating he was killed while in Russian captivity.

See all

The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitaries in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022.