Australia will provide a boost to the Ukrainian defence effort, with the federal government announcing a multi-million-dollar assistance package.
Included in assistance will be 70 vehicles, including 28 Rheinmetall armoured trucks, 28 M113 armoured vehicles, 14 special operations vehicles, and artillery ammunition.
Australia will also provide $10 million to the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs and will extend tariff-free access for Ukrainian goods for a further 12 months in order to support their economy.
“This new military and humanitarian assistance package is an additional $110 million, bringing our total contribution to $790 million, including $610 million of military assistance. This additional support will make a real difference, helping the Ukrainian people who continue to show great courage in the face of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and immoral war,” Albanese said.
The prime minister also signalled that Australia would continue to support the war effort for as long as necessary.
“It is sobering that 16 months on from Russia’s invasion, its brutal conflict continues,” he said.
Ukraine Welcomes Package
The new package has been welcomed by the Ukrainian government, with its ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, welcoming the prime minister’s statement.“On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I thank the Commonwealth of Australia and the Australian people for their most recent package of military and humanitarian support for Ukraine,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
“I am optimistic about further working with Australia to bring Russia’s war on Ukrainians, on global security and our shared democratic values to an end.”
Ukrainians Want More Australian Bushmaster Vehicles
Myroshnychenko did say he would like to see Australia progress Ukraine’s requests for further donations of “life-saving Bushmasters, available Hawkeis, and tanks.”He described Australia as “a nation of freedom-loving warriors who always stand up to a bully.”
“Your Bushmasters have been incredible in real combat operations,” he said.“But our fight for global freedom is not over yet, and we still need your support. I encourage you today to join the international tank coalition for Ukraine. In addition to tanks, we would be honoured to receive the Australian Hawkies. They could prove invaluable to our troops during the counteroffensive.”
The Ukrainian government has also launched a social media campaign in a bid to encourage the Australian government to gift them the Hawkei armoured vehicle.
In a viral post on Twitter, the government also said it had developed an affinity for the Hawkei.
It can carry up to five personnel, is highly mobile, and is light enough to be loaded onto a Chinook CH-47 helicopter.
It also has a “protected mobility combat system,” which provides protection from ammunition blasts, and it can operate command and control networks over large distances.
