Albanese visits war-ravaged towns in Ukraine

London: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has toured three war-ravaged towns amid heavy personal security in Ukraine’s Kyiv region, saying he had witnessed the aftermath of “devastating” war crimes committed by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The top-secret visit was revealed by local governor Oleksiy Kuleba on Sunday evening AEST, who wrote on Telegram that Albanese visited the towns of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, where Ukraine says Russia committed atrocities against civilians. Russia denies the allegations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits war-torn Irpin, Ukraine.Credit: AP

In footage released by international media based in Kyiv, Albanese is seen observing the aftermath of airstrikes on a town on the outskirts of the capital.

“And here we have what [is] clearly a residential building ... brutally assaulted. You know, this is a war crime,” he tells reporters gathered.

“It’s devastating. What you know is, you know, this isn’t a building. These are homes and these are livelihoods and indeed lives that have been lost here in this town. And the fact that you had such a significant force - you can see the use of tanks, missiles, heavy artillery being used in a civilian area – it’s just devastating.”

Australian reporters travelling with Albanese were placed – at the demand of the Australian Defence Force – under a strict media blackout for the entirety of the trip for security reasons. However, it has been confirmed that a small Australian delegation left Paris on Saturday evening AEST headed for Poland.

Irpin, with a population of about 70,000, and Bucha, a town of 37,000, were chosen by Russia as ideal targets to encircle the capital.Credit: AP

The prime minister’s office was unable to comment on a report by international news agency Reuters last night, but Albanese’s visit was also confirmed on Twitter by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence.

The Telegram post said Albanese, in his first trip to Ukraine, was “shocked by what he saw”, including destroyed civilian houses, traces of mines, and the destroyed Antonov airport.

The airport in the city of Hostomel was one of Russia’s primary targets in the early stages of its invasion as capturing it would have allowed effective air raids on Kyiv.

Nearby Irpin, with a population of about 70,000, and Bucha, a town of 37,000 north-west of the capital, were chosen by Russia as ideal targets to encircle the capital and to be used as Russian military staging grounds.

The Ukrainian armed forces liberated both towns in April, after which photographic and video evidence of the massacre emerged of mass killings by Russian troops.

Photos showed corpses of civilians, lined up with their hands bound behind their backs, shot at point-blank range, which ostensibly gave proof that summary executions had taken place.

Kuleba said he was grateful to the Australian delegation for its personal visit to the Kyiv region.

“The war in Ukraine, in the centre of Europe, must remain on the world agenda,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Credit: AP

Albanese is expected to hold discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who personally invited him to visit in a letter last month which congratulated the prime minister on his election victory.

Australia has been the biggest non-NATO supporter of Ukraine in terms of military hardware and aid, with $285 million of weaponry so far and $65 million in humanitarian support.

Albanese acknowledged the decisions taken by the Morrison government in contributing to that figure in Paris on Thursday.

“I think this is something that Australians can be proud of,” he said. “We understand that the defence of Ukraine is about defending the rules-based international order and the implications for its disruption would have ramifications throughout the world.”

The United Nations estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months. Most of those fleeing Ukraine are women, girls and boys.

European leaders have stepped up their visits to Kyiv recently using a dedicated train service that carries them to the capital from Poland.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has visited twice, while French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Premier Mario Draghi arrived in Kyiv last week with a “message of European unity” for the country.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in Kyiv last month for talks with Zelensky, two months after her previous visit.

On Monday morning, Russia claimed it had seized control of Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-held city in the eastern province of Luhansk.

If confirmed, it would bring Moscow’s forces one step closer to capturing the entire Donbas region – one of Putin’s key goals.

However, a Ukrainian military spokesperson denied the city was completely under Russian control, telling the BBC: “Sometimes we may retreat from certain areas so that we can retake them in the future.”

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