Saturday25 January 2025
nbn.in.ua

Occupiers released a video of an interrogation, seemingly of an Australian prisoner of war. The Australian government has responded.

Russian propagandists have released a video of an interrogation with a prisoner of war who identified himself as a teacher from Australia residing in Ukraine.
Оккупанты опубликовали видео допроса, предположительно, австралийского военнопленного. Австралийское правительство уже отреагировало на этот инцидент.
Оккупанты показали видео допроса, похоже, военнопленного австралийца. Правительство Австралии отреагировало

This is reported by The Guardian.

The first video was published by Russian propagandist Alexander Sladkov, from where it spread across Telegram channels and other social media.

In the video, a man in military attire with dirt on his face identifies himself as 32-year-old Oscar Jenkins, who lives in both Australia and Ukraine. He also mentioned that he worked as a teacher and studied in China.

In the video, the man's hands appear to be bound, likely with tape. He responds to questions posed in Russian, speaking in English and broken Ukrainian, and receives several blows when he fails to understand the questions. He claims to have been detained in the Donetsk region, asserting that he is near Kramatorsk.

After the video surfaced online, internet users discovered his profile on LinkedIn. It states that Jenkins graduated from a private Melbourne high school, enrolled at Monash University to study biomedical sciences, and moved to China in 2015, where he worked as a teacher at Tianjin College.

Jenkins' YouTube channel features only one video, uploaded a year ago, in which he promises to turn Chinese people into vegans.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the authenticity of the video and its details are currently being verified, as Russians have previously spread false information.

Meanwhile, the Australian Foreign Ministry has urged Russia to adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, including those concerning prisoners of war.