Australia has vowed it will take the “strongest action possible” if Russia has harmed one of its nationals captured fighting for Ukraine, after reports emerged the prisoner of war may have been killed.
Oscar Jenkins was captured by Russian forces last month, after which a video surfaced of him being questioned while dressed in a military uniform.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has been “seeking urgent clarification” on the situation, adding it is “gravely concerned.”
“We have called in the Russian ambassador already,” he said.
“We will await the facts to come out. But if there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that is absolutely reprehensible. And the Australian government will take the strongest action possible.”
He declined to elaborate on what actions Canberra might take.
Speaking in a mix of English, Ukrainian and Russian, he identifies himself as “a soldier” and says he is a teacher in China and a student in Australia.
Jenkins is thought to have joined an international brigade among the Ukrainian ranks, which have recruited many foreign fighters since the war began in February 2022. The Australian government advises its citizens against traveling to Ukraine to fight, but some have nonetheless chosen to volunteer with international brigades.
At least seven Australians are believed to have died fighting in Ukraine, according to ABC, but none was known to have died while being held captive.
Prisoner of war
Originally from Melbourne, Jenkins has worked as a university lecturer in the Chinese city of Tianjin since 2017, according to a LinkedIn profile under his name.
If he was killed, he would be the first Australian to have died while being held as a prisoner of war in more than half a century. The last person to have died under such circumstances was H. W. Madden, who was captured during the Korean War in the 1950s, according to the Australian War Memorial.
Australia has repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has given Kyiv close to $1 billion in assistance since 2022, while its military has provided training for Ukraine’s armed forces.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong was in Kyiv last month to announce new assistance packages, and the reopening of Canberra’s embassy in the Ukrainian capital.
During an interview with ABC on Wednesday, Wong said her department has been “working very hard” to ascertain the facts surrounding Jenkins’ safety.
“Russia is obliged to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law,” Wong said. “I want to be clear all options are on the table.”
Multiple reports have emerged throughout the course of Russian troops executing prisoners of war which is a war crime under international law.