Cricket-loving Australian ‘executed’ by the hands of mad Vlad’s Russian troops

On Jan 14, 2025

Oscar Jenkins, a former teacher with no military experience, was previously videoed being hit in the head and taunted by Russian troops

10:56, 14 Jan 2025

Jenkins’ Russian captors ask the 32-year-old what he wants, to which Jenkins responds that he wants ‘life’(Image: Supplied )

An Australian man captured by Russian soldiers while fighting alongside Ukraine’s armed forces is believed to have died.

Video footage of Oscar Jenkins, originally from Melbourne, emerged in December last year, and showed the former private school teacher dressed in military fatigues being taunted and struck on the face by men believed to be Russian troops.

During the video, which sees Jenkins speaking both Ukrainian and English and is believed to take place in the occupied Donbas region, the 32-year-old is asked what he is doing in the country, and if he is being paid to fight by Ukraine. Photos believed to be showing Jenkins with his hands bound by what appears to be strong adhesive tape were also circulated around the same time.

And now, a month on from his capture, Australian media is reporting that Jenkins is believed to have been executed while in captivity.

Jenkins, who former schoolmates described as “loyal and kind” with a “dry sense of humour”, was a proud vegan(Image: ABC News)

According to 7News, sources in Ukraine have confirmed that Jenkins’ body has been discovered, following his execution by his Russian captors.

If the reports are true, it would make Oscar Jenkins one of at least eight Australian nationals killed fighting in Ukraine. Unlike many foreign fighters in the region, Jenkins is not believed to have any military experience.

As well as his career in education, the Melbourne man was believed to have been a keen cricketer and an animal rights activist. Jenkins also previously worked in China as a language teacher.

Following the reports, a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said that while the news has “not been verified”, they do have “grave concerns for Mr Jenkins’s welfare”.

Jenkins previously played for Melbourne’s Toorak-Prahran Cricket Club(Image: ABC News)

While DFAT has of yet been able to confirm Jenkins’ death, the spokesperson did reveal that the Russian Ambassador has been summoned by the Foreign Minister to urgently discuss the matter.

“The Russian Federation is obligated to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the spokesperson added.

“DFAT is continuing to provide consular support to Mr Jenkins’s family during this difficult time.

“His family has requested privacy and we ask that media respect their wishes.”

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Oscar Jenkins is one of hundreds of foreign nationals who have died fighting since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, including at least 28 Brits (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)