Australia vs Russia: Tough Ultimatum Over POW

The Russian authorities have confirmed the capture of Australian Oskar Jenkins, who fought on the side of Ukraine. The Australian government is demanding his release and calling on Moscow to adhere to international standards for the treatment of prisoners of war, reports NewsBox.

The Russian authorities confirmed that Australian citizen Oskar Jenkins is in their custody after having previously taken part in combat operations supporting the Ukrainian army. Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, stated that the government is deeply concerned about the fate of the captive and has already reached out to the Russian side, demanding compliance with international humanitarian standards regarding him.

According to The Guardian, there is extremely limited information about the circumstances under which Jenkins was captured and the conditions in which he is held. The Russian side has stated that the prisoner of war is located within Russian territory, and his condition is assessed as 'satisfactory.'

The Australian authorities have been trying to ascertain the fate of their citizen for a month. Back in December, Russian war correspondent Aleksandr Sladkov published footage of Russian soldiers interrogating Jenkins and hitting him multiple times. In mid-January, ABC, citing information from other foreign volunteers fighting alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reported that the captive might have been killed.