Oscar Jenkins: Australian officials have launched an urgent investigation following the emergence of a video on social media showing a Melbourne man who appears to have been captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. The footage, which surfaced on pro-Moscow Russian Telegram channels on Sunday, shows a man with his hands bound and dirt on his face being struck on the head while an unseen individual questions him in Russian.
Captive Identifies Himself as Oscar Jenkins
In the video, the man identifies himself as 32-year-old Oscar Jenkins. Speaking in both English and Ukrainian, he states that he is a biology teacher who resides in both Australia and Ukraine. When questioned about his presence in Kramatorsk — a city located nearly 700 kilometers east of Kyiv — and whether he was being paid to fight, Jenkins responds, but further details from the conversation remain unclear.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has independently verified Jenkins’ identity since the video’s release.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern over the video on Monday, confirming that the Australian embassy in Moscow and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are investigating the incident.
“We are working through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide support including for this gentleman, trying to ascertain the details and the facts,” Albanese said. “We know that the Russians often put out information that isn’t right, so our embassy in Moscow is working but in addition to that, Foreign Affairs and Trade are working here as well.”
Background on Oscar Jenkins
Jenkins, originally from Melbourne, attended the prestigious Melbourne Grammar School. He currently serves as a lecturer at Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College in China, a position he has held since 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile. It remains unclear when he left China and arrived in Ukraine.
Additionally, Jenkins is described as a valued member of the Toorak Prahran Cricket Club. Club president Neil Gumley shared his thoughts with the ABC, stating that Jenkins was a “very talented junior” who had progressed to become a premiership player. “Our thoughts at this stage are very much with his family and friends,” Gumley added.
Jenkins also runs a YouTube channel, where he posted a video titled “I will force Chinese people to be vegan.” In the video, he states, “The only people who are friends with me are vegans, if you’re not vegan and you’re my friend you’re going to be vegan soon or we are going to fight.”
Australian Casualties and the Ongoing War
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several Australians have been killed while fighting on the front lines. The number of Australians still involved in the conflict remains unclear.
Retired Army General Gus McLachlan commented on the situation, suggesting that Russian forces might be monitoring communication between Ukrainian soldiers, specifically targeting English speakers. “They will be seeking to either kill or capture these soldiers with the specific purpose of using them to convince the world that they are dominating,” McLachlan told the ABC. “We also know that, of course, Ukraine and other countries then are willing to make additional concessions to get those soldiers back in prison exchanges.”
The apparent hostage video has been reposted by Australian pro-Kremlin propagandist Simeon Boikov, who operates under the online moniker “Aussie Cossack.” Boikov, leader of the Australian Cossacks, a group that presents itself as a military unit, has suggested that Jenkins should be part of a prisoner swap deal. Boikov is currently in hiding at the Russian consulate in Sydney to evade an arrest warrant for an alleged assault.
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