Australian man Sage O’Donnell killed fighting in Ukraine

The mother of the 24-year-old Victorian says he died ‘defending the freedom of the Ukrainian people’.

Victorian man Sage O'Donnell was killed in Ukraine before Christmas. Picture: Supplied

The mother of a young Australian rifleman killed in battle while fighting for Ukraine says her son died a brave freedom fighter, after he became the fourth Australian to fall in combat against Russian forces.

Sage Avalon O’Donnell, who was confirmed dead by DFAT officials on Wednesday, became the target of Russian bots which mocked his death, saying he had been “eliminated in the SVO zone presumably near Bakhmut”, a city situated in Ukraine’s embattled Donbas region.

The 24-year-old Victorian, who is understood to have died in the lead-up to Christmas, had served as an artillery observer and rifleman in the Australian Army during the last five years, before going to fight with the Ukraine Foreign Legion.

On Wednesday, O’Donnell’s mother, who has not been named by DFAT officials, said that her son had died in action defending the freedom of the Ukrainian people, adding that he “always believed in defending country [Ukraine], people and their right for freedom”.

It is understood O’Donnell is the youngest Australian to die fighting in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, but the precise circumstances and location of his death remain unclear.

His death comes less than two months after 40-year-old Queensland man Trevor Kjeldal was killed in a mortar attack by Russian forces in the Donbas region. Kjeldal, who reportedly went by the call sign “Ninja”, had been injured in July and hospitalised in the Ukrainian capital.

A month before his death he told Australian media, reporting from the Ukraine, that he had no intention of returning to Australia before the end of the conflict.

Michael O’Neill, who lived in Tasmania before he travelled to Ukraine this year, was believed to have been engaged in humanitarian work evacuating wounded soldiers from the frontline before he became the first Australian to be killed by Russian fire.

The first O’Neill had heard of the war, according to family, was on the radio during a long-haul truck journey across Western Australia. His mother, Elizabeth Rickards, later paid tribute to her son, saying that “he wouldn’t have been content not to get fully involved”.

“He trained to be a soldier and ended up in the war zone where the Ukraine army came under very heavy fire and Michael’s luck ran out,” she wrote.

Two months later, 27-year-old Jed Danahay became the second Australian to die in Ukraine after he was reportedly killed in the town of Izyum, south of Kharkiv, in late August while working as a combat medic.

Conflicting reports from fighters on the ground and the Australian government suggests the current number of Australian ­volunteers serving in the Foreign Legion could range between 200 and 600 personnel.

While the Ukrainian government has urged foreign fighters to join an international legion against Russia, Australian citizens have been warned repeatedly against fighting for militia on ­either side of the conflict.

Sage O'Donnell.

Under Australian law, citizens and residents are prohibited from engaging in hostile activities overseas unless serving in the armed forces of a foreign country.

O’Donnell’s mother, who paid tribute to her son in a statement issued by DFAT, said the family was “devastated” by the loss, and that his “humour, kind heart, values, and laughter” would be “dearly missed”.

“Sage passionately upheld his values and served here in his own country and most recently in Ukraine,” she said in the statement.

“Sage chose to take action based on his empathy for the Ukrainian people, and the injustice that is taking place. He fell in love with Ukraine and its culture, and was humbled by the kindness and hospitality within his new community.

“Sage chose to live his life true to his beliefs and cause.”

A DFAT spokesman said the department was providing consular assistance to the family, who have asked for privacy at this time of grief.

The memorial page for the International Legion Defence of Ukraine posted a tribute to O’Donnell, saying he served in the war against Russia with honour, bravery and distinction.