The Ukrainian-Australian community rallied around Australia on 29 April to ask the Australian Government to continue its support for Ukraine and to donate the Hawkei #FreeTheHawkei to the needs of Ukraine’s defenders. The Hawkei is a next-generation protected vehicle made in the same Bendigo facility as the famous Bushmaster vehicles, which have achieved cult status in Ukraine, ozeukes.com reports.
Ukrainians from Paris, Grenoble, Munich, Stockholm, Geneva, Hamburg, Prague, Oslo, Tbilisi, Sacramento, and Austin in the United States joined the Australian events, which took place across Bendigo, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, and Perth.
Hawkei vehicles are named after a deadly poisonous snake found in Northern Australia. Symbolically, the demonstrators brought along toy reptiles and posters with snake images. At the end of the rally, participants released a giant toy snake in a cage at Sydney City Hall.
“I would like to thank the Ukrainian community for running rallies throughout Australia expressing gratitude to the Commonwealth Government for the military assistance provided to Ukraine to date and calling for Bendigo-produced Hawkeis, a light four-wheel-drive protected mobility vehicle, to be included in the next batch of aid for Ukraine,” Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko expressed his gratitude to the organizers.
“As Ukraine gets ready to launch its spring offensive, any extra military assistance from the Australian government would be greatly appreciated,” – said the co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO). “Ukrainian defenders have told us the Australian-made Bushmaster is highly mobile, perfect on the battlefield, and has helped save lives. We know the Ukrainian Government thinks the Hawkei would be a ‘perfect match.’”
The Hawkei vehicle provides protection, mobility and payload, and can be used for reconnaissance, command and control operations, electronic warfare, and potentially as an air-defence platform.
