Extract from ABC News
Australia is sending another 30 Bushmaster armoured personnel carriers to the front lines of eastern Ukraine.
Key points:
- The donation brings Australia's total commitment to 120 Bushmaster armoured vehicles
- Anthony Albanese made the announcement after meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Vilnius
- Ukrainian troops have praised the effectiveness of the Bushmasters' armour under heavy fire
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
"The Bushmasters are a symbol of Australia's support for Ukraine," Mr Albanese said.
"They are valued very much by Ukrainian defence personnel and have saved their lives."
Bushmasters are built in Bendigo and have been used in Ukraine to move troops in and out of frontline areas.
They have also been deployed as ambulances and command, patrol and support vehicles.
"This is a piece of equipment that is the best in the world for what it does," Mr Albanese said.
Ukrainian soldiers told the ABC last month that the Bushmaster had superior armour to other troop carriers and was saving soldiers' lives in eastern Ukraine.
"Bushmasters work perfectly. They can withstand RPG shots, run into mines, and tame enemy machine guns," said Rustam, a soldier with Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade.
Vladyslav, a soldier in the same unit, said a Bushmaster vehicle protected him and his comrades when they came under fire from Russian artillery during the battle for Bakhmut.
"We were covered with Grad MLRS [rockets] and large-calibre mortars, but this vehicle survived and everyone inside, including me, remained alive," he said.
Australia pledged 90 Bushmasters to Ukraine last year, after Mr Zelenskyy addressed the national parliament and specifically asked for the vehicles.
The prime minister said this latest donation was worth about $100 million and would mean Australia was now committed to providing 120 of the troop carriers.
"We are proud to provide additional Bushmaster vehicles to assist the brave men and women fighting for their home and their nation's sovereignty," he said.
In May, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov released a video message calling on Australia to send more armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, including Bushmasters and Hawkeis.
Mr Albanese told reporters there were "supply chain issues" when it came to Hawkeis.
"We want to make sure we maximise of the effectiveness of what we provide to Ukraine," he said.
The Australian government says the amount of military assistance provided to Ukraine now totalled over $710 million, with overall assistance at about $890 million.
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the latest announcement showed Australia was standing by Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
"The gifting of further military support is a tangible sign of our nation's ongoing commitment to Ukraine and the rules-based international order," he said.
"We call on Russia to end to this appalling war so peace can be restored as quickly as possible."
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