Australian fighter captured by Russia ‘ready to fight for Kremlin’

Australian Oscar Jenkins has detailed how he became wounded fighting for Ukraine leading up to his capture by Russian troops during his first interview since being jailed for 13 years.

The Melbourne man was seized by Russian troops in late December 2024 before being sentenced by a court in Russia to 13 years’ imprisonment for acting as “a mercenary in an armed conflict” in May 2025.

The Australian government  slammed the legal proceedings as a “sham trial”.

Now in his first interview since being handed his jail term, Jenkins has extraordinarily declared he’d be prepared to join Russia’s war machine.

The face-to-face interview, initially reported by the ABC, inside a prison in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine was conducted by Mark Lowe, an Australian man who lives in Russia and produces a pro-Kremlin website.

Former teacher Jenkins, who had no military experience before signing up to fight for Ukraine said in the interview that Ukrainian soldiers had trained his unit alongside American, British and French volunteers.

The volunteer fighters were placed under the command of a 24-year-old British officer who had some combat experience.

Jenkins says he was deployed on nine missions before falling into Russian hands when events went awry when he became cut off from his unit and left alone.

“Things felt a little bit hodgepodge, not a lot of resources to work with, but enough to get to the front and just sort of get yourself in a hole and maybe just hold the line if possible.”

The Australian managed to dig a foxhole and sustained himself on food and water in his backpack, but then came under attack.

“There were drones - a drone dropped a grenade. Broken arm here, problem with the left leg, moved back into the same hole, waited another two days,” said Jenkins.

He was captured by Russian troops after a man walked towards his trench and asked if he needed help.

Jenkins was later bound and subjected to rigorous interrogation by his captors.

During the interview, he also gave an insight into why he decided to become a volunteer fighter with the Ukrainian military after Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

He says his decision “seemed the right thing to do”, and while he valued his life, “sacrifices need to be made”.

But then Jenkins tells Lowe he has appealed to Russian officials for permission to enlist with Russia’s armed forces.

“I’ve written a statement saying I’d be happy to fight as a soldier for Russia. But if they don’t trust me for whatever reason or don’t want me then I can understand,” he said.

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The ABC says it’s been unable to establish the veracity of the interview or the circumstances under which it was held.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the prison term handed to Jenkins after his trial in 2025.

Australian officials have since said they are working with the Russian government to secure his release.