Albanese seeks ‘positive outcome’ for Australian fighter captured by Russia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia is pushing for a positive outcome as it pursues Russia over the case of missing Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who has been captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine.

Jenkins became the first known Australian to be captured in the conflict, when footage of the 32-year-old with his hands tied and being slapped across the face was paraded on social media platform Telegram and widely circulated by pro-Putin accounts on Sunday.

The footage of Oscar Jenkins, with his wrists bound, was shared widely by pro-Russian social media accounts.Credit: Telegram

After Russia’s ambassador to Australia was called to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra on Monday afternoon, Albanese said officials were working to ensure Jenkins’ safety.

“In Australia, we have called in the Russian ambassador to Canberra to make appropriate representations. Our Australian embassy in Moscow is also making representations to secure a positive outcome,” Albanese said on Tuesday.

“It is an opportunity for us to say that the warnings which are there, about travelling to areas of conflict, are ones that should be heeded by Australians. This is not a safe or secure thing to do and there is risk involved.

“But we will continue – as we always do – to make representations on behalf of Australians. We make representations appropriately through the embassy, and we always look after Australians.”

Government officials were aware Jenkins was probably in Ukraine, but diplomatic sources not authorised to speak publicly said they believed the video of Jenkins being captured was taken in the past week. Months earlier, his family had told officials they believed Jenkins had gone to Ukraine, and they have been receiving advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since then.

Donald Rothwell, an international law expert at the Australian National University, said Jenkins was a combatant who had become a prisoner of war, based on known facts.

“Russia has obligations under the Geneva Conventions not to mistreat a prisoner of war and not to publicly humiliate them, such as by posting images on social media,” he said.

Prisoners of war can be exchanged during a conflict – and some swaps have occurred during the war in Ukraine.

Government sources said Australia’s priority in representations to Russia was Jenkins’ welfare and wellbeing as it sought to ensure he was being properly treated. It was also reminding Russia of its obligations under international humanitarian law.

At least eight Australians have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Dozens of Australians are believed to still be fighting, often paid as part of the foreign legion. Jenkins is the first known to be captured.

In video footage, Jenkins, speaking in English and broken Ukrainian, gave his name and age and said he was a biology teacher who had joined the armed forces because he wanted to help Ukraine.

He underwent rapid-fire questioning from his captor about why he was in Kramatorsk, almost 700 kilometres east of Kyiv, and if he was being paid to fight.

“Where are you from?” his captor asked in the video, a version of which was circulated with English subtitles. A confused Jenkins was then slapped across the face when he did not understand.

When asked his nationality, he replied: “I’m Australian.”

Jenkins is a former student at Melbourne Grammar, one of Victoria’s most prestigious schools. He graduated in 2010, studied biomedical sciences at Monash University and moved to China in 2015. Since 2017, he has been working as a lecturer at Tianjin College.

It is unclear when he left China and how long he has been fighting with Ukrainian forces on the front line.

Those at Jenkins’ old Toorak Prahran Cricket Club were stunned on Monday when they learnt Russian soldiers had captured him.

One ex-schoolmate who did not wish to be named said Jenkins was “quirky, but a really great guy”.

“But after school, he lost contact with many of his friends,” they said. Jenkins moved away from “that sort of Melbourne Grammar upbringing”, the friend said, and focused on veganism and sustainability in China.

In one YouTube video last year, discussing his efforts to “force” people to turn vegan, Jenkins said he had lost touch with most people, apart from his mother.

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