Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has confirmed the federal government is working to help a 32-year-old Australian fighter apaprently captured by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Dreyfus said the government had been in contact with the family of soldier Oscar Jenkins and was still working to confirm where he was being held.
“The Australian government is making representations to the Russian government. We urge the Russian government to fully adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to prisoners of war,” Dreyfus said in a statement.
“Our immediate priority is understanding where Mr Jenkins is and confirming his wellbeing.
“We are providing consular support to Mr Jenkins’ family.
“I reiterate the government’s clear advice to all Australians – do not travel to Ukraine.”
Jenkins is from Melbourne and attended Melbourne Grammar School.
He played cricket for Toorak Prahran Cricket Club. President Neil Gumle said Jenkins is “loved at the club … and has a heart of gold”.
He had moved to China as a lecturer in 2015.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier confirmed the Australian embassy in Moscow and the Department of Foreign Affairs were looking into claims Jenkins had been captured in Ukraine.
Speaking in Sydney this morning, Albanese called the claims “concerning”.
“We’re trying to ascertain the details and the facts,” he said.
“We know that the Russians often put out information that isn’t right.”
He said if the claims were verified, the Australian government would make “appropriate representations”.
The man appears in social media posts on Telegram, where he claims to be an Australian teacher and a soldier.
In the footage online, English subtitles show the man being interrogated and struck by his captors while his hands are bound.
Ukraine defenders ‘bending but not breaking’ in fierce fighting
“My name is Oscar Jenkins … 32 years old. Live in Australia and Ukraine,” he says.
The government’s Smartraveller website advises Australians not to travel to Ukraine or Russia, but there are believed to be multiple citizens fighting in the ongoing war.
