Kremlin accuses Australia of giving ex-ADF personnel the green light to fight in Ukraine

The Kremlin’s claim against Canberra comes after Russian officials dragged their heels confirming Australian POW Oscar Jenkins is alive.

The Kremlin has accused the Australian government of giving ex-Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel the green light to fight in Ukraine, despite citing no evidence to prove their claim.

The Russian Embassy on Thursday alleged former Defence staff were “being quietly issued foreign work authorisations under the Australia SAMS legislation”.

Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets (SAMS) laws passed last year require Australians with sensitive knowledge to check with the Defence before “working for or providing training to, a foreign military or government body”.

The Kremlin is claiming the Albanese government is giving ex-ADF personnel the green light to fight in Ukraine without offering any evidence. Picture: Evgenia Novozhenina / POOL / AFP)

“Against this background, the official ‘do not travel’ advice can only be perceived as a hypocritical disclaimer to camouflage the policy of condoning, in fact, encouraging citizens to go and fight Russians,” the Embassy said in a statement.

“Australians should think for themselves and avoid trouble by staying clear of the Special Military Operation zone.

“It is as simple as that.”

But not all former ADF personnel need approval – it depends on the role they had and the sensitivity of information they worked with.

NewsWire understands most entry-level personnel and lower ranking non-commissioned officers would not need approval.

With Ukrainian defence officials estimating more than 800,000 Russians have been killed in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of his smaller neighbour has not gone according to plan.

Pro-Putin propagandists had for years boasted that Russia’s military could roll over Ukraine and even take on NATO.

But nearly three years on, the conflict has grinded into a war of attrition that has inflicted devastation on Russia’s armed forces and left its economy riddled with inflation.

The Russian President has been scrambling to justify the military failure to the Russian people, including by claiming Western countries are combatants because some 20,000 foreigners have joined Ukraine’s International Legion.

Among them is Australian POW Oscar Jenkins, who was captured in Ukraine in December.

Oscar Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in December. Picture: Supplied

Mr Jenkins was working as a college lecturer in China before joining the Ukrainian military.

The Albanese government said on Wednesday that Russian officials had confirmed he was alive amid fears he had been killed in captivity.

In its statement on Thursday, the Russian Embassy accused the Albanese government of encouraging Australians to “kill Russians”.

“They keep issuing and airing demands directed to Russia along with threats of an ‘unequivocal’ response rather than reflecting on their responsibility for what has occurred to a fellow Australian,” the statement said.

“It is through combined efforts of Australian politicians and the mainstream media that an anti-Russian narrative has prevailed, misleading Aussies to believe that going to Ukraine to kill Russians was a commendable thing to do.”

Even though Moscow has confirmed Mr Jenkins is alive, Penny Wong has said the Albanese government still holds “serious concerns” for Mr Jenkins.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the Albanese government still holds ‘serious concerns’ for Mr Jenkins. Picture: Supplied

“We still hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins as a prisoner of war,” Senator Wong said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We have made clear to Russia in Canberra and in Moscow that Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war and Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment.”

Russia has long sought to delegitimise foreigners fighting with Ukraine as mercenaries in a bid to relieve it of its obligations under international law.