Australia to transfer 14 boats to Ukraine

Australia will donate 14 rigid hull boats to Ukraine to strengthen its maritime and coastal defense.

The Australian government’s press service announced this on its website.

This military aid package to the Ukrainian Defense Forces is estimated at $14 million.

They emphasize that this decision marks the Australian government’s assistance for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s illegal invasion.

It has not been officially announced which boats will be handed over to the Ukrainian military.

The report merely states that these high-speed and maneuverable boats will help “strengthen Ukraine’s maritime and coastal defense,” which is an important operational area for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The new assistance package also complements Australia’s previous assistance to Ukraine, including boats.

This spring, Militarnyi reported that the Australian government selected Sentinel 830R RHIBs to be transferred to the Ukrainian Defense Forces as part of military assistance.

As part of an A$100 million military aid package in April, the Australian government announced the purchase of Sentinel 830R RHIBs.

In addition to the boats, Australia’s military aid package included a large number of man-portable air defense systems, air-to-ground munitions, and drones.

The Sentinel 830R is a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) manufactured by Sentinel Boats. They are suitable for performing tasks in both riverine and marine waters.

In total, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Australia has provided more than $1.3 billion in military assistance and more than $1.5 billion in general support to the Ukrainian government.