The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has invited the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, to visit his war-torn country, describing the devastation inflicted by the Russian invasion.
Myroshnychenko said on Sunday it would be “wonderful” to have Wong visit the capital Kyiv. Asked if he was inviting her, he said: “Absolutely.”
“That would help her to understand Ukraine better,” he told ABC TV’s Insiders program.
“She does understand Ukraine very well, but always when you visit it gives you a different angle. I have seen it with your prime minister [Anthony Albanese]. I was there on that trip and we were in Bucha, we were able to hear those stories which were out there, with people being under the Russian occupation.”
Myroshnychenko on Sunday spoke about a Russian ballistic missile attack that killed 12 people last week.
“Among those who are killed were three children. Two of those children were twins – 14-year-old girls,” he said.
“Their mother [is now] looking for wedding dresses to bury them in, because in Ukraine we have a tradition of burying young girls in a wedding dress – because they’re never going to get married.
“Every day, Kyiv is under attack. Kids who play out on the playground and then you see them running into shelters when there is a siren, because you know it’s going to hit. This is what we have to go through every day, being traumatised.”
Last week, the government announced a new $110m assistance package for Ukraine, including 70 military vehicles, ammunition and $10m for humanitarian assistance.
It was criticised for the inclusion of 28 M113 armoured personnel carriers, which date back to the Vietnam war. The defence department itself says on its website that the M113s “are no longer able to counter the current and emerging threats presented in our operating environment”.
The federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accused the government of dumping vehicles it no longer wanted on Ukraine.
Ukraine has publicly campaigned for Australia to donate the much newer Hawkei vehicles, even enlisting Eurovision stars Tvorchi to lobby for them.
Australia has already donated 90 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, which can carry 10 people and have protection from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Myroshnychenko said Ukraine was “incredibly grateful” for Australia’s support – “for every dollar, for every round of ammunition, for every Bushmaster”.
But the Hawkeis were useful for different missions, he said, for recognisance and electronic warfare, and could be integrated into the defensive system Ukraine uses to protect itself from Russian missiles.
Myroshnychenko said in May the Hawkeis were “a gamechanger” because of their missile launching capability.
But the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has received advice from the Australian Defence Force that the Hawkeis “would not be the best way to provide assistance to Ukraine”. There are ongoing issues with the vehicles’ braking system.
There are different ways countries could support Ukraine, Myroshnychenko said, adding it would “make global headlines” if Australia gave Ukraine M1 Abrams tanks.
The United States has given Ukraine some Abrams and Australia is due to upgrade its own fleet next year.
A spokesperson for the Australian foreign minister said Wong was honoured by the invitation “and looks forward to visiting as soon as it is possible”.
“In the meantime, she will continue her advocacy and practical support for Ukraine. Australia has contributed $790m in military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.”
