First load of Aussie aid, weapons for Ukraine delivered

The first tranche of Australia’s $70m worth of aid has landed near the Ukraine border for transport into the war-torn country.

The first tranche of Australia’s $70m worth of aid has landed near the Ukraine border for transport into the war-torn country.

A RAAF C-17A Globemaster, usually stationed at Amberley in Queensland, arrived in southern Poland late on Friday, spending three hours on the tarmac as its payload was unloaded.

The giant workhorse of the sky, the racing horse symbol of the No.36 Squadron on its tail, dominated the local airfield. It followed a British C-17, with other C-17s from Hungary and the US, and a French 130 aircraft, parked on the same airfield. During the short stop, two US Air Force chinook helicopters made an appearance.

Military aid bound for Ukraine is unloaded from A RAAF C-17A Globemaster on Friday. Picture: Defence Department

On the same afternoon, the airport hosted several VIP aircraft ­including that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Separately, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and British Home Secretary Priti Patel arrived to ­assess the border situation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last week that Australia’s aid would be mainly lethal weapons, in addition to some humanitarian assistance. “We are talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking supporting them in their defence of their own homeland in Ukraine’” Mr Morrison said.

“I don’t plan on giving the Russian government a heads-up about what is coming their way, but I can assure them, it is coming your way.”

There have been regular shipments of cargo from more than 20 countries arriving in the region to be transported across the border into Ukraine.