The Union of Ukrainian Organizations in Australia (SUAO) is calling on the Australian government to send decommissioned Taipan helicopters to Ukraine, instead of spending money to bury them in a landfill. The organization wrote about this on its Facebook page.
The Australian Armed Forces have said they no longer need this fleet of helicopters. But instead of killing two birds with one stone – getting rid of the extra helicopters and immediately satisfying Ukraine’s official request – the government decided to disassemble them and bury them.
SUOA is confident that 45 Taipan helicopters could change the situation in Ukraine and help our military. Such a fleet could significantly strengthen military positions and would more than double the number of helicopters Ukraine has received since the start of a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. It is added that the delivery of helicopters to Ukraine would most likely be less costly than their destruction and burial.
This week, the Union of Ukrainian Organizations in Australia raised this issue in the offices of Defence Minister Richard Marles and his assistant Matt Thistlethwaite, and on January 14, a rally of the Ukrainian community will be held near Sydney City Hall calling for the cancellation of its decision to dispose of the Taipan helicopters. Other states will hold coordinated actions in the coming weeks.
“The Prime Minister said that he supports Ukraine, but the support packages are becoming smaller and rarer, the Union of Ukrainian Organizations in Australia said in a statement. Words will not help us win this war. We need action right now.”
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