Australian fighter missing in Ukraine feared dead

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says reports an Australian man has been killed in eastern Ukraine after he was reported missing are “deeply troubling”.

A Queensland man fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion is feared dead after he was reported missing in the country’s Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian officials confirmed to NewsWire that Caleb List, 25, was reported missing last month after his unit came under artillery fire near Izyum, which Russia has regularly bombarded since launching its invasion three years ago.

They stressed they could not comment on Mr List’s fate without a body.

But a Ukrainian military source said it was “unlikely” he was alive and “almost impossible” to retrieve a body in the area at the moment.

Caleb List is feared dead after he was reported missing eastern Ukraine. Picture: Facebook

Mr List has been fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion since 2022. Picture: Facebook

The Prime Minister on Wednesday said the reports were “deeply troubling” and again urged Australians not to travel to Ukraine.

“My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the gentlemen concerned,” Anthony Albanese said from Perth.

“DFAT are working in the way that they do to make sure the proper notifications are occurring.”

Mr List told SBS in 2023 that he joined the Ukrainian war effort after being knocked back by the Australian Defence Force, saying “he tried a couple of attempts to get in there”.

“For obvious reasons, I got rejected – just a bit young and dumb, made some bad choices,” he said.

“I wanted something new … I was sick of the job, I was sick of just being a labourer.”

He was working at Queensland’s Yarwun refinery before leaving for Ukraine.

Mr List also told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle he wanted to “push myself to the extreme”.

Citing privacy, Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Wednesday would not confirm what Australian officials knew about Mr List’s status.

“I’m always constrained in terms of these matters as a result of privacy,” she told the ABC.

“But, I would just simply say that this is a very dangerous place to be and … we are assisting, providing consular assistance to a family in relation to this matter.”

Mr List posted this photo of himself in March 2024. Picture: Facebook

Senator Wong also said she did not know how many Australians were in Ukraine.

“I don’t have numbers on that,” she said.

“But I would say to people, I would strongly discourage that. We have a do-not-travel arrangement with Ukraine.

“I understand people feel strongly about this conflict, but this is not something the government would be supporting – that is, Australians joining fighting in Ukraine.”

Earlier this week authorities confirmed another Australian, Nick Parsons, had been killed in the same area.

Mr Parsons, a former Australian soldier, was working for landmine clearance non-profit Prevail Together.

Prevail - Official Statement

“We are still unable to comment on any matters regarding the deaths of a British and Australian national as we are currently collaborating with the local authorities. We have been in direct communication with the families involved, and our primary…

— Shaun Pinner (@olddog100ua) May 12, 2025

Anthony Albanese publicly expressed his “deepest condolences and sympathies” to Mr Parsons’ family at a press conference on Monday.

Originally published as Australian fighter missing in Ukraine feared dead