Russian authorities have confirmed an Australian man fighting in Ukraine has been sentenced in absentia to 14 years' jail.

The Russian embassy in Australia says Kallen Benjamin Lewis was found guilty by a court, based on evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

Mr Lewis is accused of breaching Russia's criminal code by participating as a mercenary in an armed conflict.

Mr Lewis is understood to have been in Ukraine since 2022.

The Russian embassy said the court established that in October 2023, Mr Lewis joined a paramilitary unit, within the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The embassy said he received training, a firearm and ammunition as well as a uniform.

The court findings said that, while in the Donetsk

See Full Page