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Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has personally committed his seal of approval to Ukraine, after signing a reconnaissance drone bound for conflict in Bakhmut.
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The Deputy PM signed the Mavic 3T thermal camera drone while attending a meeting with more than 150 members of the Ukrainian community in Geelong, Melbourne, late last year.
The drone was later sent by the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations’ (AFUO) Defend Ukraine Appeal to the frontlines to help save lives.
The meeting was organised by the AFUO and the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria with appearances from the Deputy PM, Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko, and Ukrainian-Australian academic Dr Michael Lawriwsky.
Members of the 80th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have since confirmed the arrival of the drone in Bakhmut, Ukraine. The brigade also uses Australian Bushmaster vehicles.
“We want to thank you, Mr Marles, for signing this Mavic 3T drone,” said a reconnaissance company member.
“We want to say thank you for supporting us and our country in this difficult moment for us; and all Australian people, thank you, we appreciate your support.
“This small drone with thermo-vision camera will be very useful for our reconnaissance guys who are conducting night operations.
“Thank you for standing with us. Glory to Ukraine, glory to Australia; together we will win.”
During the initial meeting in Geelong, members of the community also read messages from a flag signed by members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
AFUO co-chair Stefan Romaniw OAM also raised the possibility of the government providing Ukraine with highly sophisticated Canadian-developed reconnaissance drones for border control.
Ambassador Myroshnychenko, speaking at the National Press Club of Australia earlier this year, said Marles would definitely be welcome to visit Ukraine to see the country in person.
“We would definitely welcome a visit from the Deputy Prime Minister (Richard Marles) should he decide he wants to visit Ukraine,” he said on 28 February.
“I know that he’s interested in doing that, he’s told me that a long time ago, and we hope that there will be an opportunity to visit the country.”
Diplomatically, Australia has not retained its embassy in Ukraine after the federal government previously ordered the departure of Australian embassy staff from Ukraine in February 2022.
A potential reopening has also been ruled out earlier this year after Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff warned the situation in Ukraine was too “unpredictable” and “risky” for an Australian embassy to return to the country.
In addition, Australia’s next ambassador to Ukraine, Paul Lehmann, has reportedly not yet set foot in the country since being appointed on 9 December last year.
