EDITORIAL: Death of Aussie fighter in Ukraine demands action

It should come as no surprise that Vladimir Putin’s despotic regime has no respect for the laws of war, or the sanctity of human life.

Estimates vary wildly as to the number killed in his bloody and illegal invasion of Ukraine, but it’s believed to be in the hundreds of thousands — including many of his own troops, fodder for his “meat grinder” military tactics.

Putin’s domestic foes and critics have an unfortunate habit of dying violent and unexplained deaths — not that Russian investigators are looking too closely at their causes, lest they be the next to be shot, sent to a polar penal colony, poisoned with polonium, a victim of a “suicide”, or in the case of would-be coup leader Yevgeny Prizozhin, killed in a plane crash after a mysterious explosion onboard one’s private jet.

We know all this about Putin and his regime.

Yet it still comes as a shock to hear one of our own has become a victim.

It’s unclear what spurred a cricket-loving former Melbourne private schoolboy to abandon his life teaching at a university in China and head to Ukraine to fight against the Russian invaders.

But Oscar Jenkins, 32, did just that, joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, despite having no military background, or connection to the nation.

Then, late last year, he was captured.

Footage appeared online showing Mr Jenkins being brutally interrogated by Russian forces.

Now, we await confirmation of his death.

It’s believed he was executed. If that is true, it would make Mr Jenkins the first Australian to die as a prisoner of war since the Korean War more than 70 years ago.

It’s left the Government grappling with how to respond.

“We will await the facts to come out,” Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday.

“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.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Russia’s ambassador, Alexey Pavlovsky had been called to a meeting in Canberra.

“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,” she said.

“We will look at the facts when they have been ascertained.

“But I want to be clear, all options are on the table.”

That includes expelling Mr Pavlovsky from Australia, a move Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he would support.

“We should send a clear message to Russia and to other similar minded regimes that Australians are sacrosanct, that they deserve to be protected by their government,” Mr Dutton said.

“If they are harmed in this way and brutally executed — as seems to be the suggestion in this case, and we wait for confirmation — there should be a strong reaction from the Prime Minister.”

That would no doubt strain our relations with Russia further. But when it comes to dealing with murderous dictators, strength is the only effective form of diplomacy.