Russia’s ambassador to Australia has been hauled in for a meeting with diplomatic officials as concerns grow for a Melbourne man captured while fighting for Ukraine’s armed forces.

Pro-Kremlin social media accounts posted a video on Sunday showing a man with his hands tied and dirt across his face being hit across the head as an unseen person questions him in Russian.

In response, the man identifies himself as 32-year-old Oscar Jenkins and, speaking in both English and Ukrainian, says he is a biology teacher who lives in Australia and Ukraine. 

He was asked about why he was in Kramatorsk — almost 700 kilometres east of Kyiv — and if he was being paid to fight.

The ABC has independently verified Mr Jenkins’ identity.

Russian Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky met with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials for about half an hour on Monday afternoon, but declined to comment as he entered and left the headquarters.

Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus said the government had made representations to Russia and urged them to comply with international law, while they worked to locate Mr Jenkins and provided consular assistance to his family. 

“We urge the Russian government to fully adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to prisoners of war,” he said. 

“Our immediate priority is understanding where Mr Jenkins is and confirming his wellbeing.”

Both Russia and Australia are parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention which sets out the rules for the treatment of prisoners of war, including that they are protected from violence. 

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the video was “concerning” and that the Australian embassy in Moscow and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) were investigating it. 

“We are working through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide support including for this gentleman, trying to ascertain the details and the facts,” he said. 

“We know that the Russians often put out information that isn’t right, so our embassy in Moscow is working but in addition to that Foreign Affairs and Trade are working here as well.” 

Unclear how many Australians fighting in Ukraine

Mr Jenkins grew up in Melbourne, where he attended the prestigious Melbourne Grammar School.

According to his LinkedIn, he is currently a lecturer at Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College in China, where he has worked since 2017. 

It is unclear when he left China and arrived in Ukraine.

He is also a “much loved” member of the Toorak Prahran Cricket Club. President Neil Gumley told the ABC Mr Jenkins was a “very talented junior” who rose through the ranks to be a premiership player.

“Our thoughts at this stage are very much with his family and friends,” he said. 

In a short video posted to a YouTube channel that appears to be owned by Mr Jenkins, titled “I will force Chinese people to be vegan,” he said: “The only people who are friends with me are vegans, if you’re not vegan and you’re my friend you’re going to be vegan soon or we are going to fight.”

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Several Australians have been killed fighting in Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 and it is unclear how many more Australians remain on the front line.

Retired army general Gus McLachlan said the Russians were likely monitoring communication between Ukrainian soldiers and listening for English so they could target foreigners.

“They will be seeking to either kill or capture these soldiers … with [the] specific purpose of using them to convince the world that they are dominating,” he told the ABC. 

“We also know that, of course, Ukraine and other countries then are willing to make additional concessions to get those soldiers back in prison exchanges.”

Australian pro-Kremlin propagandist Simeon Boikov — known by his online moniker Aussie Cossack — has reposted the apparent hostage video, stating that he should be part of a prisoner swap deal.

He is the leader of the Australian Cossacks, which styles itself as a military unit, and is holed up in the Russian consulate in Sydney to avoid an arrest warrant for an alleged assault.

The government is continuing to urge Australians not to travel to Ukraine or to join the war effort against Russia’s invasion and the Smart Traveller advice level remains at “do not travel”.