Video shows captive Australian slapped and interrogated by Russian soldiers in Ukraine
Oscar Jenkins identified as an Australian student and solider as Russian military personnel interrogated him after his apparent capture in Ukraine.
A viral social media clip shows an Australian man being interrogated and slapped by Russian soldiers after being captured allegedly fighting for Ukraine during the ongoing war.
Identifying himself as Oscar Jenkins, 32, of Australia on a video clip released on social media platform Telegram, the man is seen bound by the hands as he is slapped by the Russian soldier asking him where he is from.
“I live in Australia and Ukraine,” Jenkins said in response to the Russian asking "who are you?" and what he is doing in Ukraine. He says he is studying biology and physiology, and is also a soldier for Ukraine. Standing in army fatigues in a forest, Mr Jenkins tells the man he wanted to help Ukraine and had previously lived in China.
In a second clip he is asked about money he may have been paid by Ukraine to fight as a mercenary, and appears to be negotiating with the Russians about the bank where his money is held.
He was reportedly captured in Kramatorsk, about 700km from Kyiv. Jenkins is originally from Melbourne and has reportedly been away from home for about nine years studying, first moving to China in 2015 to work as a lecturer at Tianjin College.
Albanese says video is 'disturbing' as authorities investigate
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the video is disturbing, but urges caution while both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian embassy in Moscow work through the facts and try to support the captured Australian. There is speculation the video could be a propaganda stunt by the Russians so Australian authorities are working urgently to establish what has happened to Jenkins.
"We know 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," Albanese told reporters on Monday morning.
While Australian soldiers have previously been killed while fighting for Ukraine this is the first time an Australian has been captured and paraded is such a way by Russian forces.
Glenn Kolomeitz, a former Australian Army officer and lawyer, estimated upwards of 30 Australians were in the combat zone fighting with the Ukrainian foreign legion.
"I now suspect that this guy will be exploited for propaganda purposes, to apply some sort of leverage to the Australian government," he told ABC Radio.
According to a LinkedIn profile matching Mr Jenkins' details, he attended Melbourne Grammar School before working for seven years as a university lecturer in Tianjin, China. His profile also displays an image of a map of Ukraine, as well as the messages "Righteous soldier" and "Destroy evil be good".
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