‘Executed’: Comrades claim captured Aussie soldier was killed

Foreign fighters who served with Ukrainian armed forces say Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins was tortured and executed by Russian soldiers as the PM warns Moscow of consequences.

Foreign fighters who served with Ukrainian armed forces say Oscar Jenkins was tortured and executed by Russian soldiers last year.

On Wednesday, a soldier who did not want to be identified told Nine he had heard on January 9 the former Melbourne school teacher had been murdered. He said the news was confirmed a day later.

The soldier taught Mr Jenkins, 32, to fight in Ukraine and served with him in the 66th merchandised brigade.

“He was here to help Ukraine. If I can say one thing about Oscar, he was the first one in and the last one out. He always made sure everyone else was taken care of,“ he told the publication.

News of Mr Jenkins’ death was shared in a group text message, which said: “He has been executed. His body has been recovered. It is unknown right now where it is.”

The soldier said the Russian military had a policy of torturing and killing foreign fighters, rather than holding them as prisoners of war.

“They tortured him for days to make an example of him. The Russian troops don’t care for laws, morals, nothing, they’re just there to kill,“ he said.

In a video circulating Pro-Russian Telegram channels, Australian mercenary Oscar Jenkins is interrogated by Russian fighters after being captured in Donbas. Picture: Telegram

A photo of Oscar Jenkins and a man claiming to be his former student on a popular Chinese messaging app. Picture: Supplied

An American soldier told the ABC Mr Jenkins’ body was identified by a tattoo on his hand that said ‘vegan’.

An Australian with links to Ukrainian fighters also said Mr Jenkins’ body was found with three or four others.

‘I’M WORKING TO VERIFY IF HE AS BEEN KILLED’: UKRAINE AMBASSADOR

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said investigations were continuing into reports of Oscar Jenkins’ execution by Russian soldiers.

But he said “not a single’’ person had been able to verify it.

Mr Myroshnychenko said he felt for Mr Jenkins’ family who were now living in “limbo’’ not knowing if he was alive or dead.

“Every volunteer who serves the Ukraine and defends democracy is a hero for Ukrainians,’’ he said.

“I feel the pain of the family who are in limbo because they don’t know what has happened.

“So …we still have hope that he’s alive, but maybe he was, he was dead, but we don’t know it for sure until we can confirm it.’’

But he confirmed Russian troops had been executing prisoners of war.

“They’ve done it with Ukrainians.... So that would not be surprising, no,’’ he said.

Oscar Jenkins, pictured here in a Toorak Prahran cricket club team shot. Picture: Instagram

Mr Myroshnychenko said Russia had a responsibility to confirm Mr Jenkins’ status, noting they had broadcasted his capture by posting a video on the internet.

“I mean, if he’s alive, they must prove that he’s alive,’’ he said.

“We know, clearly, that when he was captured he was alive.

“The burden is on the Russian side because for us, as long as we cannot find a body, or we cannot get a hold of it, we cannot really confirm anything.’’

Mr Myroshnychenko said questions had been asked of a commander on Ukraine’s frontline about soldiers sighting Mr Jenkins’ body but it could not be verified.

“I mean, not, not a single one has been actually able to see the body,’’ he said.

As efforts are made to confirm Mr Jenkins’ status, pressure is mounting for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to expel Russia’s ambassador to Australia.

Mr Myroshnychenko declined to comment saying it was an issue for the Australian Government.

‘STRONGEST ACTION POSSIBLE’: ALBO’S WARNING TO RUSSIA

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have vowed Australia will take the “strongest action possible” if Mr Jenkins is confirmed to have been executed by Russian forces.

Speaking at a press conference in Tasmania’s Devonport, Mr Albanese came down hard after Foreign Minister Penny Wong vowed that “all options are on the table” should Mr Jenkins be dead.

“If there has been any harm caused that is absolutely reprehensible and the Australian government will take the strongest action possible,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Dutton said: “We should send a clear message to Russia and to other similar minded regimes that Australians are sacrosanct.

“They deserve to be protected by their government and if they are harmed in this way and brutally executed as seems to be the suggestion in this case, and we’ll wait for confirmation, then there should be a strong reaction from the Prime Minister.

“If it is the case that this Australian has been killed, then Australia should respond in the strongest possible terms, and that is our bipartisan position.”

Mr Dutton said Australians should not be travelling to Ukraine or to any other war zones.

Oscar Jenkins with one of his former students. Picture: Supplied

Australian man Oscar Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. Picture: Screengrab

‘AUSSIE COSSACK’ HOPES FOR A ‘MIRACLE’

In a bizarre twist, the Australian-born Russian agent called “Aussie Cossack” who offered himself up in a prisoner exchange for Jenkins is hoping for a “miracle”, saying there’s every chance the Melbourne school teacher is still alive.

Simeon Boikov has been holed up in the Russian consulate in Sydney for two years to dodge an arrest warrant, and in December floated the idea of a potential swap with Mr Jenkins.

“Oscar is probably the first Australian they’ve captured, so naturally they’d want to look after him because he’s high value,” he said.

“The Russians have said zero, absolutely nothing about this, so maybe the video was made on the front line in the heat of battle and he’ll turn up somewhere.”

Mr Boikov thinks Mr Jenkins was “radicalised” and made a mistake by travelling to the warzone.

Australian-born Russian agent called “Aussie Cossack” who offered himself up in a prisoner exchange for Oscar Jenkins is hoping for a “miracle”, saying there’s every chance the Melbourne school teacher is still alive. Picture: Supplied

“He doesn’t appear to be a far-right extremist foreign fighter Rambo guy seeking to fight in a conflict, I think he’s confused and shouldn’t have gone to a warzone – he should have had help, and I think that’s the way most Russians see him,” he said.

Eugene Hawryszko, from the Association of Ukrainians in Melbourne, reiterated that reports of Oscar Jenkins’ death remain unconfirmed.

“You can’t believe anything that comes from the Russian government,” he told this masthead.

“It’s very difficult to confirm anything because we don’t know ourselves - there have been confirmations and some people have said there’s a body involved but we don’t know.”

Mr Hawryszko said Russian soldiers generally try to keep prisoners of war alive so they can negotiate and take part in prisoner exchanges, but he added it would only take one “ruthless” soldier to kill a prisoner.

In a video circulating Pro-Russian Telegram channels, Australian mercenary Oscar Jenkins is interrogated by Russian fighters after being captured in Donbas. Picture: Telegram

REPORTS OF JENKINS’ DEATH NOT VERIFIED: DFAT

Mr Jenkins is a former student of Melbourne Grammar, but had moved to the Tianjin region of China to study biology in 2015.

He had been serving with Ukraine’s 66th Mechanised Unit in Kramatorsk, Donetsk, when he was taken prisoner by Russian forces.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman earlier said reports of his death have not been verified, but they continue to have grave concerns for Mr Jenkins’ welfare.

DFAT also confirmed at Penny Wong’s direction, the Russian Ambassador was called into DFAT on January 13 to seek information and reiterate Australia’s expectations that Russia will comply with its obligations under international law.

“His family has requested privacy and we ask that media respect their wishes.”