By James Baillieu
And yet back home the efforts barely register.
But a less-told story is that of the estimated 100 Australians in key civilian roles on the ground in Ukraine and the 40 more serving directly in Ukraine鈥檚 armed forces.
Despite a 鈥淒o Not Travel鈥 directive from the Australian government and the absence of an open embassy from February 2022 until a partial reopening in January 2025, these Australians have stayed or found their way in to do extraordinary work in a grinding, dangerous war.
Rachel Lehmann from Hobart stayed in Kyiv despite a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade directive to leave at the time of invasion. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like giving in to bullies,鈥 she said. She is head of pastoral care for 150 students at the British International School. She described chaos, martial law, and missile attacks. 鈥淲hen I leave my kids for a trip out of Ukraine, that鈥檚 when the stress kicks in.鈥 Her story, like many others, hasn鈥檛 made headlines, but it should.
Robert Potter from Adelaide is perhaps the godfather of Australian civilian efforts in Ukraine at the strategic level. Since November 2022, his Australian-led team has trained Ukraine鈥檚 intelligence and defense personnel in advanced cyber operations, with measurable battlefield outcomes. 鈥淲e鈥檝e trained over 500 people in person and thousands online, including wounded veterans whose military experience translates powerfully to cyber,鈥 said a group representative. The initiative, run with veteran training company WithYouWithMe, is entirely self-funded. 鈥淓verything we do in Ukraine is out of our own pocket.鈥
And Francis Farrell from Parramata is a Kyiv-based war reporter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only Ukraine,鈥 he told me. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the future of Europe and the entire understanding that large countries cannot simply conquer smaller neighbors and get away with it. Being a journalist, communicating Ukraine to the world, is what I was meant to do.鈥
Bruce Edwards, Australia鈥檚 Ambassador to Ukraine until December 2023, now leads partnerships for HALO Trust, the world鈥檚 largest landmine clearance NGO, employing over 1,600 Ukrainians. 鈥淚 was in Mykolaiv and Kherson three weeks ago and in Kharkiv last week,鈥 he told me. 鈥淲itnessing the destruction to property, lands and lives is heartbreaking but brings home the need for our work.鈥
There are many others: Asher Robinson, organizing volunteer networks over 500 active volunteers; Andy Wilson, developing technology to improve Kharkiv鈥檚 air defense; and callsign Dingo, assembling drones near the front.
Australian soldiers are spread across the 1,500-kilometer front, not in one unit. All volunteer. Ukrainians say Australians are known for their humor and aggression on attack. I spoke with several of the 40 or so serving in the Ukrainian army. A common reason for joining: desire to kill Russians after witnessing atrocities. 鈥淚t makes your skin crawl to see what鈥檚 been done,鈥 said one. 鈥淭hey come because they are blood hungry, but they stay because they love the country,鈥 said callsign Merlin. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e treated really well if you鈥檙e a good soldier and an asset to the unit, which most Aussies are, because of how well known we are for fighting and not caring much when someone鈥檚 shooting at us,鈥 said callsign Spook. The killed in action number is 10.
These aren鈥檛 mercenaries or thrill-seekers, but Australians who believe this war matters and whose sacrifices have gone largely unnoticed at home.
It should concern us that their contribution is invisible in our national story. While we debate foreign headlines, many of our own citizens: unarmed civilians, volunteers and frontline fighters, are already in the fight. Ignoring them means diminishing ourselves.
What鈥檚 missing is recognition. These Australians are risking everything for a cause we officially support. They deserve more than quiet admiration. They deserve national honor.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author鈥檚 and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.