Australian Man Reportedly Killed in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Warns Russia

Australian Man Reportedly Killed in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Warns Russia

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has issued a stern warning to Russia following reports that an Australian man, Oscar Jenkins, has been killed in Ukraine.

Senator Wong confirmed that the government is making urgent inquiries with Russian authorities about the report, which has not yet been verified. However, she expressed grave concerns for Mr. Jenkins' safety and stated that all diplomatic options, including expelling Russia's ambassador to Australia, are on the table.

"My thoughts are with Mr. Jenkins' family," Senator Wong said. "They've lived with the fear and uncertainty of a loved one in the middle of a foreign war for many months."

Mr. Jenkins, 32, from Melbourne, may be the first Australian held as a prisoner of war by Russian forces in Ukraine. He was captured in Ukraine's Donbas region last year while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.

A Ukrainian official, Mykhailo Podolyak, warned that Russia has a "deep-seated hatred" of foreign fighters like Mr. Jenkins and does not adhere to conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. He called on the global community to respond strongly to Russia's actions.

The Geneva Convention is supposed to protect prisoners of war, and a video from December showed Russian forces interrogating and hitting Mr. Jenkins, who had his hands bound with duct tape.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Simon Birmingham said that Russia's ambassador to Australia should be expelled if reports of Mr. Jenkins' "extrajudicial execution" are confirmed.

At least seven Australians are thought to have been killed while fighting for Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022. However, Mr. Jenkins would be the first Australian prisoner of war killed by a foreign power in more than 70 years.