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Russia is labelling Oscar Jenkins a 'mercenary', not a prisoner of war. What's the difference – and why does this matter?

Oscar Jenkins, a 33-year-old former teacher from Melbourne, was one of many foreigners who responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call in 2022 for volunteers to join Ukraine's armed forces to help repel Russia's invasion.

Dirty and dishelved man staring into the camera. Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine and accused of serving as a "mercenary".
Russia is labelling Oscar Jenkins a 'mercenary', not a prisoner of war. What's the difference – and why does this matter?

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