Australian diplomats are urgently seeking confirmation of reports that Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who was fighting for Ukraine, has been killed while in Russian captivity. Ukrainian sources claim to have found his body. Jenkins, a former teacher, traveled to Ukraine to support its defense against Russia's invasion and became the first known Australian captured by Russian forces.
Australia n diplomats are working to confirm the death of Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins , who was fighting for Ukraine after being captured by Russia n forces. A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) stated on Tuesday that the Australia n government is making urgent inquiries following reports of Jenkins' death. While these reports remain unverified, the DFAT expressed grave concerns for Mr. Jenkins' well-being. Ukrainian sources claimed to have found Jenkins' body.
Jenkins, a former teacher, had joined the Ukrainian fight against Russia's invasion. The DFAT spokeswoman revealed that Foreign Minister Penny Wong directed Russia's ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, to meet with the department and provide information, expecting Russia to comply with international law. She emphasized Russia's obligation to treat all prisoners of war according to international humanitarian law. DFAT is providing consular support to Mr. Jenkins' family during this difficult time.Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham called for the Australian government to take strong action if the reports of Jenkins' death are confirmed. He urged the recall of Australia's ambassador to Russia and the expulsion of Russia's ambassador to Australia if Russian forces were responsible for Jenkins' death. Birmingham stated that if Russia carried out an extrajudicial execution of an Australian citizen, the Albanese government should respond with the strongest possible measures. He criticized the government's inaction on previous calls for diplomatic expulsions regarding Russia. Birmingham argued that failing to act decisively would be unacceptable.Jenkins' capture came to light in December 2022 when footage surfaced online showing him tied up and paraded before a camera by Russian soldiers. In the video, Jenkins, speaking in English and broken Ukrainian, explained that he had been fighting in the Donbas region to support Ukraine. It remains unclear how long Jenkins, who left Australia in 2015 to teach and travel in China, had been fighting with Ukrainian forces. He was the first known Australian captured by Russia. Jenkins was a graduate of Melbourne Grammar School and Monash University, where he studied biomedical sciences. Before his involvement in the Ukraine conflict, he had been working as a lecturer at a college in Tianjin, China. Friends who played cricket with him at the Toorak Prahran Cricket Club described him as a kind, generous, and thoughtful individual. They recalled his intelligence and contributions to the team, saying he was a typical Aussie cricket boy.Jenkins' father, Scott, was a dentist and also a member of the cricket club, fostering a close connection between the Jenkins family and the club. At least eight Australians have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including Joel Benjamin Stremski from Victoria and Queenslanders Brock Greenwood and Matthew Jepson, who died while defending against Russian troops in eastern Ukraine in October. Dozens of Australians are believed to be still fighting in Ukraine, often as members of the foreign legion
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