There's no evidence that Australian fighter was executed by Russia, prosecutors told media
Australian volunteer soldier Oscar Jenkins has the status of a prisoner of war (POW) and there is no confirmation of his death, a Ukrainian investigative journalism outlet Slidstvo.Info reported on Jan. 17, citing the Prosecutor General's Office.
The news comes after reports that the body of Jenkins, a 32-year-old teacher from Melbourne whose capture was reported in December, has been found. He was believed to have been executed by his Russian captors.
Some media outlets and Telegram channels published a video purporting to show bodies of soldiers, claiming that Jenkins was among them.
Slidstvo.Info verified that footage was published four years ago on an Iranian website. The description says that it was filmed in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the original video is in Armenian instead of Russian.
Jenkins is serving in the 402nd Separate Rifle Battalion, which is part of Ukraine's 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the outlet wrote. He went missing on Dec. 16 in 2024 while being on a combat mission near the village of Mykolaivka in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine's Ground Forces Command told Slidstvo.Info.
"There has been no transfer of the body (of Oscar Jenkins)," the military said.
The Kyiv Independent has contacted the Australian Embassy in Kyiv and the Ukrainian authorities but has not received a response at the time of publication.
The Geneva Conventions mandate all warring parties to treat POW with respect and dignity, while executing POWs is considered a gross violation of international law and a war crime. Russia has been repeatedly accused of summarily executing Ukrainian POWs throughout the war.
Moscow calls foreign volunteers "mercenaries" and claims they are not entitled to protection under the Geneva Conventions.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged the "strongest action possible" if reports of an Australian national captured while fighting for Ukraine being executed by Russian forces are confirmed.
Australia's Foreign Ministry has also summoned the Russian ambassador on Jan. 15 to demand information and stress compliance with international law.
Daria Shulzhenko
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