Rachel Mealey: Russia is intensifying its bombardment of Ukrainian forces and critical infrastructure as it seeks to press home its advantage over a nation running low on military hardware. The United States and Australia have both authorised new military aid packages, but will it arrive in time for the Ukrainian war effort? Nick Grimm reports.
Nick Grimm: They're the Dad's Army of the Ukrainian war. A volunteer unit of fighters, either too old or too unfit to officially join the Ukrainian military, but still packing firepower. Using repurposed captured weapons and the leftovers of hardware and munitions from fighting units, the band of mostly 60-plus-year-old volunteers, who call themselves the Steppe Wolves, step in and support frontline troops where they can. Unit commander 68-year-old Oleksandr Taran is known on the battlefield by his callsign "Grandpa". His men are unpaid and most survive on their pension payments, but their leader insists they're often more effective than some military recruits sent to fight. Beat him with a stick if you want, he says, but a person won't fight if they don't want to. One who does, though, can go on for 100 years to serve and destroy the enemy. But the almost septuagenarian fighter admits boots on the ground won't be enough to fend off Russia. We won't defeat them with numbers, we need modern weapons. And as Ukrainian forces face a deteriorating situation, that's the plea being repeated again by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He's begging the international community to speed up the delivery of weapons, with the US-made Patriot air defence system at the top of his wish list.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: We're cooperating with our partners on all levels to ensure that we get the assistance that's needed, not only to maintain our own positions, but also to disrupt Russia's war plans. We're still waiting for the supplies that have been promised. We're expecting to receive exactly what's needed to change the battlefield situation to Ukraine's advantage.
Nick Grimm: But the long wait for that support has come at a cost. Russian forces made advances on the battlefield after a $93 billion US aid package was delayed by Congress for months, finally receiving approval from lawmakers last week. Australia too has just announced an additional $100 million in support for Ukraine, including funding for drones, air defence systems and generators. That's been welcomed by Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko: Russians are intensifying their attacks against our critical infrastructure and destroying our power generation as well as electricity distribution. And of course having air defence systems is now crucial for our survival. So having this equipment supplied to Ukraine is very important and it's very helpful.
Nick Grimm: But it could be many weeks until the promised military support can make a difference for besieged Ukraine. But Vasyl Myroshnychenko argues it's in the strategic interests of both Australia and the US to ensure Ukraine isn't defeated.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko: And definitely what we are seeing now is we are seeing that we don't have, we have a Russia problem because if Russia succeeds in Ukraine it will be more emboldened to assert itself in the Pacific. And this is where basically supporting Ukraine is in the strategic, national and regional interests of Australia, making sure that we can win.
Mick Ryan: The reality is Russia is also a Pacific power with a larger Pacific fleet than the Royal Australian Navy.
Nick Grimm: Mick Ryan is a retired Australian Army General now with the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He believes Western nations, Australia included, need to be doing a better job of explaining to their voters the critical need to ensure Ukraine isn't overwhelmed by Russia.
Mick Ryan: At the end of the day it will help but Australia's assistance is pretty sporadic and appears to be a bit of a 51% solution, just enough to stop critics but not enough to really make a difference in line with Australia's 13th largest GDP in the world.
Rachel Mealey: Retired Australian Army General Mick Ryan ending that report by Nick Grimm.
