Oscar Jenkins: Australian seized in Ukraine by Russian forces may still be alive

Australian officials believe Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins may still be alive in Russian captivity rather than dead as feared.

Earlier this month, the Government said it was making “urgent enquiries” after reports that Mr Jenkins, 32, had been killed after being captured on the Ukrainian frontlines, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong warning that all diplomatic options were “on the table” if confirmed.

On Wednesday, Senator Wong said the Government had received confirmation from Russia that Mr Jenkins was alive and in custody.

“We still hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins as a prisoner of war,” she said.

“We have made clear to Russia in Canberra and in Moscow that Mr Jenkins is a prisoner of war and Russia is obligated to treat him in accordance with international humanitarian law, including humane treatment.”

The Foreign Minister said she had spoken directly with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and thanked them for their ongoing advocacy.

The Government has called on Russia to release Mr Jenkins and summoned Alexey Pavlovsky, the Russian ambassador to Australia, twice since December to demand information about his fate.

“If Russia does not provide Mr Jenkins the protections he is entitled to under international humanitarian law, our response will be unequivocal,” said Senator Wong.

News of the former teacher’s capture first emerged in December after a chilling video surfaced on a pro-Russian Telegram channel, showing Mr Jenkins with fear in his eyes and a grime-covered face, being beaten and interrogated by two men who claimed to be Russian soldiers.

Reports of his suspected death emerged in mid-January, although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed at that time that Canberra was still waiting for the “facts to come out.”

The alarming news prompted calls from the opposition to expel the Russian ambassador if Mr Jenkins’ extra-judicial execution was confirmed. The Government refused to rule out the possibility of such an expulsion.

It is understood that the Russian ambassador indicated on Tuesday night that Mr Jenkins had been detained by members of Russian Armed Forces and was being held in Russian territory.

He is said to be in a ‘normal’ health condition, but the Australian authorities are working with officials in Kyiv and seeking independent verification about his welfare through the ICRC.

On Wednesday, Mr Albanese struck another note of caution.

He confirmed information that Mr Jenkins was still alive had been received by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via the Russian authorities but said the Government was “still seeking confirmation” about his fate.

“If that is the case it certainly would be welcome. It is something that we have demanded information on and we are demanding more information so that we can be certain that what has been suggested is in fact the case,” he told ABC news.

“I am reluctant to go into details for obvious reasons. One of the things we have been keen on doing is making sure that Mr Jenkins’ family get information before it is spoken about publicly as well,” Mr Albanese said.

DFAT is continuing to provide support to Mr Jenkins family.

The 32-year-old graduated from the elite Melbourne Grammar School in 2010 before studying at Monash University.

Before travelling to Ukraine, he moved to China to study biology in 2015 and worked as a university lecturer for seven years.

In recent days, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko had cautioned the unconfirmed reports of Mr Jenkins’ execution may have been part of a Russian disinformation campaign and that there was a “50:50” chance he could still be alive.

Ukrainian media outlet, Slidstvo, also cast doubt on the claims, reporting that a video allegedly showing his body among dead soldiers could be traced back to footage published by an Iranian website four years ago. It said the Russians had not handed over his body to the Ukrainian authorities.

On Wednesday, Mr Myroshnychenko welcomed the reports as “good news” for Australians.

But he added that Russia’s refusal to confirm his status for more than a month had put Mr Jenkins’ family and friends “through anguish,” describing Moscow’s actions as “typical of that barbarous regime.”

He cautioned that Russia’s “murderous misinformation machine” could not be taken at its word alone, accusing it of having a record of killing and maltreating prisoners of war.

“In line with international norms, Russia must therefore provide definitive video proof of Oscar being alive and then, more importantly, it should release him rather than use him as a human bargaining chip for its authoritarian aims.”