Oscar Jenkins, a former school teacher from Melbourne, was seen being struck by a Russian interrogator in a video posted in December.
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Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to take the “strongest action possible” against Russia if it has harmed an Australian citizen who was taken prisoner while fighting for Ukraine.
Jenkins, a 32-year-old Melbourne school teacher with no prior military experience, joined Ukraine’s defence forces early last year.
A video posted in December showed Jenkins, who was dressed in military uniform and had his hands bound, being interrogated and struck by a Russian captor.
Recent reports suggest he may have been killed while in Russian custody.
Albanese said on Wednesday that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was seeking “urgent clarification” from Russian authorities about Jenkins.
“We call upon Russia to immediately confirm Oscar Jenkins’ status. We remain gravely concerned,” he told reporters.
“We will await the facts to come out. But if there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that is absolutely reprehensible. And the Australian government will take the strongest action possible,” Albanese added, without specifying potential measures.
Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian suggested that Australia’s response could include expelling Russia’s ambassador, withdrawing its own ambassador from Moscow, and imposing further sanctions.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who hopes to become prime minister in elections later this year, has voiced his support for such measures if it is confirmed that Jenkins has been killed.
Australia, one of Ukraine's largest donors outside of NATO, has contributed over AU$1.3 billion (€782.6 million) in military aid since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Recent donations include 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks valued at around €147.5 million. While Australia’s involvement has focused on training missions, no combat troops have been deployed.
In an attempt to find out more about Jenkins, Australian officials questioned Russian Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky in Canberra on Monday.
The Russian Embassy in Australia has not given any public updates on Jenkins but continues to refer to a 25 December briefing by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, in which she described Jenkins as a “mercenary”.
Zakharova stated that foreign mercenaries in Russian custody would be “called to account” under Russian law.
“We regularly inform you about the mercenaries’ crimes and their punishment in accordance with the Russian legislation, especially when they are involved in acts of atrocity against civilians,” she added.
Since Russia's all-out invasion and war against Ukraine in early 2022, a relatively small number of volunteers have joined its forces in resisting Moscow's troops. However, Kyiv does not employ mercenaries in the fighting, unlike the Kremlin.