Anthony Albanese has warned he will take “the strongest possible action” against Russia if Oscar Jenkins is confirmed dead.
Melbourne professor Jenkins, 32, was serving alongside the Ukrainian military when he was captured by Russian forces last year.
But the POW was reportedly executed by Russian forces, as the Australian government launched “urgent inquiries” with Moscow and recalled the Russian ambassador.
The Prime Minister said on Wednesday morning that Australia would take the “strongest possible action” against Russia if Jenkins is confirmed to have been killed.
“We call on Russia to immediately confirm the status of Oscar Jenkins,” Albanese told reporters at a news conference in Tasmania.
‘We remain seriously concerned. “We will wait for the facts to come to light, but if any harm has been caused to Oscar Jenkins, that is absolutely reprehensible and the Australian Government will take the strongest action possible.”
Despite the warning, Mr Albanese insisted that he was “not getting ahead of the facts.”
‘I am not someone who is vying to be shadow foreign secretary. I am someone who is Prime Minister of Australia and we will respond to the facts.
Former Melbourne schoolteacher Oscar Jenkins, who was captured by the Russians while fighting for the Ukrainians, has reportedly been executed.

The Prime Minister (pictured) said on Wednesday morning that Australia would take the “strongest possible action” against Russia if Jenkins is confirmed to have been killed.
‘We have already called the Russian ambassador. “We are asking for clarification as to whether… any harm has been done to Mr Jenkins and we will take the strongest possible action if any harm has been caused.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong previously said “all options are on the table”, including the possible expulsion of the Russian ambassador to Australia.
“Russia is obliged to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law, this includes humane treatment and the right to a fair trial,” he told ABC.
‘We will see the facts when they have been proven. “But I want to be clear: all options are on the table.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said late Tuesday that the Seven news reports that Mr. Jenkins has been executed “have not been verified.”
“The Russian Federation is obliged to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law,” a spokesperson said.
‘DFAT continues to provide consular support to Mr Jenkins’ family during this difficult time.
“His family has requested privacy and we ask that the media respect their wishes.”
The Russian ambassador to Australia was summoned to the DFAT offices on Monday by order of the Foreign Secretary to answer questions about the Australian’s well-being.
Jenkins is among at least seven Australians who have died while fighting in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
He is believed to be the first Australian prisoner of war to be executed in more than 70 years.
Opposition federal senator Simon Birmingham called on the Albanian government to respond “in the strongest possible terms” if reports of Mr. Jenkins’ death are true.
‘Three years ago, the then Labor opposition called for Russian diplomats to be expelled, but Labor in government has taken no such action. “If Russia has committed such a heinous and illegal action, it must now act as a catalyst,” he said.
“In such circumstances, nothing less than the withdrawal of Australia’s ambassador to Russia and the expulsion of Russia’s ambassador to Australia would be sufficient.”
It comes weeks after Mr. Jenkins was paraded on camera by Russian soldiers in a disturbing video uploaded to social media platform Telegram.
Mr Jenkins was seen tied up and forced to his knees by his captors.

Oscar Jenkins is a former member of Melbourne’s Toorak-Prahran Cricket Club and studied at one of Victoria’s most elite private schools.

DFAT officials are investigating reports that Jenkins has been executed by Russian soldiers. In the photo, Russian soldiers patrol a village on the border with Ukraine.
Speaking in a mix of broken English and Ukrainian, his captor slapped him while demanding he answer questions in Russian.
‘Where are you from?’ the soldier asked him.
Unable to understand, Mr Jenkins looked confused before his captor slapped him.
“Fuck the fastest speaker,” the Russian said.
When asked his nationality, Mr Jenkins replied: “I’m Australian.”
Dressed in military gear and with dirt smeared on his face, Jenkins was repeatedly asked why he was in Kramatorsk, nearly 700 kilometers east of kyiv.
The Russian soldier demanded to know if Ukraine was paying Mr Jenkins to wage war on their behalf.
According to the Russian penal code, “mercenarism” can lead to up to 15 years in prison.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called news of the capture “concerning” at the time of the video.

Disturbing video posted on social media in December showed Jenkins being slapped by an interrogator who asked him why he was fighting in Ukraine.
‘So our embassy in Moscow is functioning. But Foreign Affairs and Trade also work here,” he stated.
‘We always look after Australians. That is the job of the Australian government: to represent Australian citizens.
Mr. Jenkins studied at Melbourne Grammar, one of Victoria’s most prestigious schools.
He graduated in 2010, studied biomedical sciences at Monash University and moved to China in 2015, he reported.
Since 2017 he has worked as a professor at Tianjin University.
It is unclear when he left China or how long he has been fighting with Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
A school friend told the publication that Mr Jenkins was a good person, an intelligent and well-liked classmate and a “great sportsman” who represented the first XI cricket team and the first XVII football team.
Mr Jenkins’ LinkedIn profile lists him as a former member of the Toorak-Prahran Cricket Club.
His partner claimed that Jenkins had become “a little withdrawn” since moving to China and had recently deleted much of his social media.
A passionate vegan, he uploaded a single video to his YouTube channel last year titled: “I will force Chinese people to be vegan.”
“The only people who are my friends are vegans anyway,” Jenkins said in the video.
‘If you’re not vegan and you’re my friend, then you’re going to be vegan soon or we’re going to fight… and my mom, I’m still talking to my mom.
‘Otherwise, it is quite limited. “There is some help from outside, from the family that wants to do things.”