The 30 additional Bushmasters will bring the total number of the protected mobility vehicles sent to Ukraine to 90. As well as Bushmasters, Australia has donated six M777 towed howitzers and ammunition, 28 M113 armored vehicles, anti-armor weapons and other weapons.
Australian military aids to Ukraine has reached to $655 million.
“Since their arrival, the Bushmasters have been used extensively by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with more requested by the Ukrainian president, minister of defense, and the ambassador,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
A contingent of up to 70 Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel will join the British led multinational training effort known as Operation INTEFLEX just after Christmas, but will not enter Ukraine.
“This is a not just about Ukraine’s sovereignty; the brave people of Ukraine are defending international law, rules and norms,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Previously, the Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov said that thanks to Australian Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, the Ukrainian military reached the Oskil river and is continuing to liberate Kharkiv Oblast.
Australia to train Ukrainian troops
Up to 70 Australian defence force personnel will be deployed to the UK to train Ukrainian troops in the latest increase in Australia’s support for Kyiv.
The Albanese government announced the decision late on Wednesday while emphasising that the ADF members would not be entering Ukrainian territory.
The government has been signalling for months that Australia might join other countries in training Ukrainian troops as part of longer term assistance, but has not confirmed the details until now.
It says up to 70 ADF members will fly to the UK in January to join Operation Interflex, a mission that also involves personnel from other countries including New Zealand, Canada, Sweden and Finland. Ukrainian troops, including new recruits, have been travelling to the UK for training under this program.
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