Ukraine will receive an extra 20 Bushmasters, 14 armoured personnel carriers and radiation monitoring and personal protective equipment from Australia, pushing the nation’s contribution to Kiev’s war effort above $285m.
The Australian can reveal the government has authorised the deployment of more defence hardware to repel the Russian invasion, after sending 20 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to Ukraine following a request from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the extra assistance would support the Ukrainian government’s response to “Russia’s brutal, unrelenting, illegal invasion”.
The support package includes 60 pallets of medical supplies donated by Australian citizens and three pallets of radiation monitoring equipment and personal protective equipment from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority and Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.
The gifting of 14 M113 armoured personnel carriers is valued at $12m, while the Bushmasters cost $48.9m.
“The Australian government will continue to identify opportunities for further military assistance where it is able to provide a required capability to the Ukraine Armed Forces expeditiously,” Mr Dutton said.
“Australia stands with the people of Ukraine, and again calls on Russia to cease its unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The government will not disclose further specific details of the package, or delivery arrangements, at the direct request of Ukrainian officials and our other partners.”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Wednesday announced sweeping new sanctions targeting “Russian purveyors of propaganda and disinformation”, political and security figures who have supported the invasion.
Senator Payne said the Russian government was “driving a widespread disinformation campaign both within Russia and internationally … President Putin has attacked freedom of speech and dissent in Russia to suppress factual reporting on its war against Ukraine and its egregious war crimes, and to damage perceptions of Ukraine and its international supporters.
“We have listed for sanctions 11 individuals and 12 entities for promoting Russian propaganda and disinformation, building on the measures already taken against 32 propagandists in March 2022. They include individuals in the Russian media industry who promote the Russian government’s false narratives.”
Senator Payne said Australia had imposed targeted financial sanctions against entities including “troll farms that generate and spread disinformation online, many of which are linked to Russian intelligence services”.
“Among the three entities and four individuals being sanctioned for their roles in Russia’s invasion is the private military company ‘Wagner’, described as a de facto private army of Russian President Putin,” she said.
“Wagner’s mercenaries are supporting Russian-backed separatists in the so-called People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The other two entities are the Belarusian defence enterprises Industrial-Commercial Private Unitary Enterprise Minotor-Service and OJSC KB Radar-Managing Company of Radar Systems Holding.”
For this article in pdf, please click here:
Geoff Chambers Chief Political Correspondent
Geoff Chambers is The Australian’s Chief Political Correspondent. He was previously The Australian’s Canberra Bureau Chief and Queensland Bureau Chief. Before joining the national broadsheet he was News Editor.
Australian Army Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles stand at a European airport en route to Ukraine.
Comments