Media

ABC News: Penny Wong announces Australia will reopen embassy in Kyiv almost three years after its closure. In a historic first time visit to Ukraine the Australian foreign minister announces an additional $156 Million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine and pledges to reopen the Australian embassy in Kyiv.

Defence Connect: Australia confirms donation of 14 rigid bull boats to Ukraine. Australia will gift 14 rigid hull boats to the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the latest round of military support, valued at $14 million, to Ukraine.

ABC News: Ukraine to receive aging Abrams tanks in latest Australian military aid package. Australia has pledged 49 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian war effort. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy told reporters that it’s “time to move on” from the Australian government’s decision to bury its Taipan helicopters.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Army probably received nothing for Taipan spare parts. A short summary of the Taipans saga followed by the sad conclusion that disassembling Taipans instead of sending them to Ukraine was a bad decision. Multiple independent industry sources have told APDR that once the cost of disassembly, transport, storage, repairs and updates of various components had been taken into account the amount paid to Australia “would have been close to zero, or even at a loss.”

SBS: Australia’s aid to Ukraine was the focus of a Senate inquiry. It made 22 recommendations. The senate inquiry into Australia’s support for Ukraine (that was started in response to the mishandling of Taipans) has concluded with a report featuring 22 recommendations.

Channel 10, The Project: Why Ukraine Wants Australian Weapons. The push on the Australian government to provide more military aid to Ukraine continues. Now that Taipans have been denied, decommissioned M1 Abrams tanks are in the spotlight.

Australian Government Defence: Australia’s largest single military assistance package for Ukraine. In a bid to end the “immoral invasion” of Ukraine, Australia has pledged $250 million in fresh military aid at the 75th NATO Summit.

Australian Financial Review: No coal, but $31m energy and other aid package for Ukraine. Australia will give Ukraine another $31 million in energy and humanitarian aid but will not be sending coal to the war-wracked country, as it requested. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the energy package announced on Friday was a more efficient way of helping Ukraine than shipping coal.

The Australian: Ukraine Deserves More Support. Australia’s new $100 million military aid package for Ukraine, announced by the Defence Minister, Richard Marles, during his visit to Ukraine, suggests the Albanese government has grasped the importance of Kyiv’s brave fightback against Vladimir Putin’s lawless aggression. But Kyiv remains disappointed by the government’s junking of Australia’s fleet of 40-plus MRH-90 Taipan helicopters rather than donating them to the war effort.

The Age: Marles prepares to visit Ukraine as Labor MPs call for embassy reopening. Australian Defence Minister, Richard Marles, announces his first ever visit to Ukraine. After rejecting repeated pleas to send a batch of Hawkei protected mobility vehicles to Ukraine last year, the government recently declined a Ukrainian request to gain access to the army’s retired fleet of Taipan MRH-90 helicopters. It is expected that Richard Marles will announce a new military aid package to soften the blow caused by rejecting Taipans.

ABC News: Australia’s ‘slipping’ support for Ukraine in spotlight. Australia is now ranked 23 out of 41 countries on dollar terms in support for Ukraine, and 31st when the size of each nation’s economy is taken into account. More can be done by Australia including sending Taipan helicopters, Abrams tanks and fighter jets.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 39. Kym Bergmann continues to discuss the latest developments with the Taipan helicopters and advocates for sending more military aid to Ukraine and opening the Australian embassy in Kyiv.

The Examiner: Neglecting Ukraine aids Putin. As the West navel-gazes about ethics, and Republicans slavishly heed Donald Trump’s disgusting appeasement of Putin by denying arms and money first promised to Kyiv six months ago, Australia can and must do more. Claiming air-worthiness problems as an excuse for denying Ukraine our discarded Taipan helicopters, and refusing to re-open our embassy in Kyiv when others have, suggests handwringing in a time of urgency is not just a northern hemisphere disease.

The Daily Advertiser: Ukrainian-Australians call for support as aid dwindles. The Ukrainian community is calling for more help and urging the Australian government to be proactive with their support so military equipment doesn’t end up in the dumpster. The decision to chop up and bury Taipan helicopters was criticised by the Ukrainian community leaders. The opposition has also called for more aid to flow and the reversal of the decision to decommission the Taipan helicopters so they may be sent to Ukraine.

The Nightly: Putin Must Be Held To Account. The Foreign Affairs Shadow Minister, Simon Birmingham, advocates for increased support to Ukraine. He says: “our army is retiring a fleet of Taipan helicopters but is destroying rather than gifting them to Ukraine. Again, safety was cited. Have the people coming up with these excuses not realised that Ukraine is at war? Mr Albanese should show some leadership and reverse these decisions, just as he should immediately agree to Ukraine’s requests to continue coal shipments, while joining our allies in reopening an embassy in Kyiv”.

ABC News: Ukraine community urges Defence Minister Richard Marles to visit Kyiv and lead ‘whole of government’ assistance effort. The Ukrainian community has appealed directly to Defence Minister Richard Marles to lead a “whole of government” approach to better coordinate Australia’s military and humanitarian aid. Asked about Australia’s refusal to gift decommissioned military equipment such as Army’s former Taipan helicopters, AFUO co-chair Kateryna Argyrou argued it would be better for Ukraine to make its own risk assessments, rather than the Defence Department.

The Nightly: Why is Australia ignoring pleas from Volodymyr Zelensky to reopen our embassy? The article questions the Australian government’s lack of support to Ukraine. Mr Zelensky has pleaded with Australia to reopen its embassy in Kyiv for the past year. But those pleas have been ignored. Australia has chosen not to fulfil Ukraine’s request for Hawkei military vehicles. Retired fleets of F/A-18 Hornet aircraft and MRH-90 Taipan helicopters will be scrapped instead of being given to Ukraine.

2Ser Radio: What is the nature of Australian Aid in Ukraine? General aid to Ukraine and specifically Taipan helicopters are being discussed in this radio program.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Ukraine pleads with Australia to remove red tape holding back aid. The Ukrainian community issued the call in a direct plea to Defence Minister Richard Marles to remove obstacles within his department that have held back some of the support, while also thanking him for $50 million in aid promised this month. The government rebuffed a request from Ukraine for old Taipan helicopters from the Australian Defence Force, which chose to bury the airframes rather than ship them overseas, and it has taken no action on a request for more coal shipments.

ABC Australia: National Press Club. Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko alongside Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Kateryna Argyrou, address the nation & senior leaders at the National Press Club of Australia. The issue of sending Taipan helicopters to Ukraine was raised multiple times by the presenters and by journalists.

The Australian: Give Ukraine what it needs to beat Putin: Forrest. Billionaire miner and philanthropist Andrew Forrest says Australia should not keep armoured vehicles, fighter jets, tanks and helicopters locked-up in “warehouses” when Kyiv urgently needs military firepower to push back Russian forces. Ukrainian officials and diplomats have requested access to Australian Hawkei armoured vehicles, MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and Abrams tanks. These requests must be met, thinks Andrew Forrest.

Herald Sun: Donald Trump’s Republicans abandoning Ukraine in sickening pro-Russia shift. The article discusses problems that Ukraine faces with Republicans in the USA blocking military aid. At the same time, Australia’s grounded Taipan helicopters that Ukraine wanted are being disassembled and buried. No deal has been reached on sending the retired F/A-18 fighter jets and ageing Abrams tanks are similarly sitting idle.

ABC News: VIDEO : Russia’s war with Ukraine enters its third year. Sarah Ferguson interviews Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia. The issue of Taipan helicopters being rejected for Ukraine is also raised.

ABC News: Ukraine shows renewed interest in Australia’s aging Abrams tanks. After declined requests for Hawkeis and Taipan helicopters the Ukrainian ambassador calls for more military aid to help Ukraine. Modern aircraft, air defence systems, artillery shells are urgently needed in Ukraine according to the Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko. The ABC has also learned that Ukraine is finalising a request for due to be retired Abrams tanks. However, Richard Marles, Minister for Defence says that it is not on the agenda.

SBS News: Rallies across Australia mark second anniversary of Ukraine invasion. Thousands are rallying across Australia to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Australian government provides the words of support and a $50 Million military aid package, but the opposition labels it inadequate and calls for more support, specifically calling on the Albanese government to reverse its decision to bury Australia’s dumped MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and to instead donate them to Ukraine as requested in 2023.

The Guardian: Ukraine appeals to Australia and France for more ammunition as it marks two years since Russian invasion. The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, appeals for more military aid and mentions Taipan Helicopters as a missed opportunity. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, together with his opposition frontbench colleagues Simon Birmingham and Andrew Hastie, also called on the government to “reverse their decision and donate Australia’s out of service MRH-90 Taipan helicopters to Ukraine”.

7 News: Ukraine’s Two Years of War: The fight for aid, arms and attention. A documentary produced by Channel 7. A segment featuring the mishandling of Taipan helicopters is featured in the documentary starting from 42:50.

Australian Aviation: Independent Probe Launched Into Fatal Taipan Crash. The Australian government often used safety concerns as one of the key reasons for denying Taipan helicopters to Ukraine. Many experts (including senior Australian Defence officials) find Taipans to be very safe helicopters and reject this argument. An independent inquiry will further investigate the reasons for the fatal crash that happened in July 2023 to understand what caused it and whether there is any substance between the government’s safety concerns in relation to Taipans.

The Weekend Australian: Ukraine reveals a new path for democracies to defend themselves. Ukraine chose to risk all and stand on its feet, rather than to live on its knees. In so doing, this action has revealed a new pathway for democracies like Australia to defend themselves against superpowers. It has been surprising to see in recent months, the Albanese gov- ernment’s support of Ukraine has become somewhat half-hearted. This half-heartedness is best expressed by the government’s decision to reject a request from Ukraine to give it our discarded Taipan helicopters. It is clearly not too late to pause the dismantling of the fleet and provide it to Ukraine in line with its request.

The Australian: Ukraine calls for support to ‘finish the job’, as war reaches two years. kraine ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has signalled that Kyiv is seeking further military support from Canberra, including armoured personnel carriers and anti-drone and mine-clearing equipment, to aid its war against Russia. The leaders of the opposition back the calls for sending more military aid to Ukraine and specifically ask the Australian government to send the decommissioned Taipan helicopters that Ukraine requested in December 2023.

Australian Financial Review: Australia’s fund managers use new tactics to support Ukraine. Kateryna Argyrou, the co-chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, shares her frustrations in relation to the decision of the Australian government to refuse sending the decommissioned Taipan helicopters to Ukraine. She also explains how heartening it is to receive letters of support from ordinary Australians offering to donate their time to help with sending Taipans to Ukraine.

The Australian: Labor’s leaders lack courage to defend freedom like Navalny. The article contrasts the courage of Navalny, a Putin’s critic murdered by his regime, with the lack of action by the Albanese government. Australia’s effort to assist Ukraine under the Labour government is labelled as pathetic. Sending old equipment and obsolete ammunition, refusing to send Hawkei armoured vehicles and burying Taipan helicopters at record speed are just some examples that highlight the disconnect between the strong pro-Ukraine rhetoric of the Albanese government and its actions.

Riotact: The rise and fall of the MRH 90 Taipan – what went wrong? The article suggests that a group of Black Hawk lobbyists within the army worked on undermining Taipan helicopters and eventually succeeded when the Taipan fleet was grounded. The author also suggest that at the time when the decision to ground the Taipans was made, the problems with availability and reliability were already resolved to a large extend. The author speculates that the reasons for such a speedy dismantling of Taipans and not sending them to Ukraine are either an attempt to save face by the politicians who incorrectly labelled the aircraft unsafe or an attempt of the Black Hawk lobbyists to accelerate the process of replacing Taipans with Black Hawks.

Canberra Times: Helicopters, torture and leaks? Something’s rotten in the state of Defence. It’s been a tough week in the Department of Defence, and there are no signs of improvement on the horizon. Torture allegations, a minister under a fire and a helicopter fleet being sold for parts – it’s an unedifying litany that has littered Senate estimates hearings and our subsequent news coverage in recent days.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 37. Kym Bergmann continues to discuss the latest developments with the Taipan helicopters. Kym believes that the obscene speed with which Army has tried to destroy them has only one cause – they don’t want another country to successfully use them because that would reveal massive Australian incompetence.

The Weekend Australian: Richard Marles: stop digging, start leading. The highlights an escalating conflict between the Defence Minister, Richard Marles, and the Australian Defence. Richard Marles is criticised for the way he handled the situation with Taipan helicopters.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Joint Statement: Labor buries the truth about Taipans. A public statement by Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrew Hastie MP, Shadow Minister for Defence and Senator David Fawcett. The Opposition calls on the Government to recognise that it is not too late to pause the dismantling of some of the remaining Taipans and clarify with European allies and industry whether it’s possible to meet Ukraine’s request.

Sky News Australia: Australian government providing ‘additional $50 million grant’ to Ukraine. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Albanese government will provide an “additional $50 million grant” to the International Fund for Ukraine.

The Project on Channel 10: Australia Refuses To Give Ukraine ADF Taipan Choppers After They Were Decommissioned. A summary of the senate hearing about Taipan helicopters and an interview of Stefan Romaniw from the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations.

Australian Aviation: Opposition Demands Explanation Over Taipan Scrapping. The federal opposition has issued a ‘please explain’ to the federal government over its handling of the decommissioned MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet. “Evidence showed that it may not be too late to pause the dismantling of the fleet and provide it to Ukraine in line with Ukraine’s request and allies’ offers of assistance”.

9 News Australia: ADF pilots flew with faulty equipment during fatal Taipan crash in 2023. Explosive evidence has been heard by Parliament over the possible cause of the fatal Taipan crash off Queensland in 2023, which has pointed to a helmet device’s faulty software, not to a mechanical failure. “We’ve never made any claims that the aircraft isn’t safe”, said Army Chief Lt. General Simon Stuart.

ABC News: Army pilots flew with faulty Taipan helicopter equipment, court hears. Claims that Australian pilots were using faulty night vision helmets during last year’s deadly Taipan helicopter crash have been examined in a tense parliamentary hearing. Army generals were also questioned on not sending Taipan helicopters to Ukraine instead of chopping them up and burying.

News.com.au: Taipan pilots flew despite ‘risk’ assessment from internal ADF testing. The Coalition and Greens are demanding answers after it was revealed defence personnel on-board the now-defunct Taipan helicopter fleet were flying with equipment deemed to carry an “increased risk” in certain situations by internal testing. Meanwhile, the army is adamant it would be impossible to simply reassemble the retired Taipan fleet, despite the repeated requests of Ukraine, because many of the parts are no longer airworthy.

The Northern Daily Leader: Grounded Taipan helicopters ‘not suitable’ for Ukraine. Australia’s grounded Taipan helicopter fleet cannot be repaired to send to Ukraine for use in its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion, the Defence Department says. “In my experience and my advice, it is not suitable for that task, you need to have a reliable aircraft for that task,” Lieutenant General Simon Stuart told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.

ABC News: Army pilots flew with faulty Taipan helicopter equipment despite warnings of ‘increased risk’. Defence has confirmed that a helmet-mounted display system used by Taipan helicopter pilots carried an “increased risk” when used in flying conditions with poor visibility. This (not helicopter faults) could have been the reason for the fatal crash that occurred last year. In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry, the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) also claims that Defence officials told them “the MRH-90 is a safe helicopter”, a position they say is at odds with comments from the Albanese government.

ABC News: Leaked photo reveals dismantled Taipans waiting in warehouse for burial, reigniting frustrations not to send aircraft to Ukraine. Images from within the Townsville hangar emerged. There we see 27 Taipans in storage in good condition. These can be quickly reassembled back. The article also presents a one-sided opinion of ADF affiliated experts that believe that Taipans are unreliable and not a good fit for Ukraine.

The Australian: The Number of Australians who want the government to provide more support to Ukraine is lifting. A survey shows that the number of Australians who want their government to do more for Ukraine has increased by 7% on the back of the Taipan helicopter saga. The survey also shows that 82% of Australians believe that russia should cease its invasion and exit Ukraine.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 36. The Taipan saga continues to be discussed by Kym Bergmann in his APDR podcasts.

Australian Aviation: Marles Reaffirms Decision to Dispose of Taipans Despite Repair Offer. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, speaking in an ABC television interview, reaffirmed the government’s decision to scrap Taipans. He suggested that, despite a formal request, Taipans are not a suitable platform for Ukraine. Marles also declined the offer of former ADF personnel and technicians to donate their time and assemble the remaining Taipans for free, so that they can be sent to Ukraine.

Sky News Australia: Richard Marles concedes ADF and defence department has a ‘way to go’ before culture of excellence is achieved. Defence Minister Richard Marles has conceded his department and the ADF have a “way to go” before they achieve a culture of excellence, responding to claims he gave senior staff a verbal dressing down before the end of last year. The ADF attracted criticism for its decision to deny Ukraine’s its request for Hawkei vehicles and Taipan helicopters.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Australian Army blocks Taipan helicopters for Ukraine to cover up their own failures. Kym Begrmann: “The truth is finally starting to come out. It took only 90 seconds and two questions from Senator David Fawcett to Foreign Minister Penny Wong to confirm what many have long suspected – the only thing between desperately needed Taipan helicopters being donated to Ukraine is a veto by the Army, which the government is too weak to overrule”.

ABC Afternoon Briefing: Interview with Defence Minister Richard Marles. Richard Marles continues to insist that Ukraine’s request came in late and that Taipans are not the best platform for Ukraine. He also confirms that many workers, who could potentially help with assembling Taipans, are still employed while waiting for Black Hawks to arrive. However, Marles suggests that harvesting Taipans for spare parts is still a better option than giving them to Ukraine. A recording of this interview is also available on YouTube and on ABC iView.

ABC News: Last-ditch offer to divert Taipan helicopters from being scrapped to help Ukraine. Taipan helicopters seen in Channel 7 and Channel 9 footage are in good condition and can be quickly assembled back. A group of former soldiers and technicians with expertise have offered their services on a volunteer basis to reassemble any remaining aircraft, so that they can be sent to Ukraine. “The aircraft is safe like all the Australian Defence Force aircraft, to say otherwise does an injustice to the people who maintain our air assets”, says a maintenance engineer team leader, who worked on Taipans for 10 years.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 35. In this episode Kym Bergmann does some more digging into the extraordinary story of the destruction of the Taipan helicopter fleet when Ukraine desperately needs them. Why is the government so completely tone deaf? What do they hope to gain by turning down the request from Kyiv? Also visual evidence shows that many of them remain in good condition despite the government’s hints to the contrary.

Daily Telegraph: What kind of country bets everything on hope, when being wrong could kill its freedom? Andrew Bolt suggests that Anthony Albanese is sending wrong signals to China by burying 45 Taipan helicopters in the dirt rather than letting Ukraine have them. Not helping an ally in the time of need exposes Australia to a potential global war.

9 News: Ukraine expressed ‘great interest’ in Taipan helicopters before controversial landfill plan. Liberal Senator David Fawcett confirms to 9 News that he relayed Kiev’s interest in the Taipan MRH-90 aircraft to the Australian government in early October while he was attending a NATO parliamentary assembly in Copenhagen. This is contrary to the government’s stance that they didn’t know about Ukraine’s interest in Taipans until late December.

7 News: Australian helicopter graveyard buried as landfill (Extended story for 6 PM news). 7 News found Taipan helicopters in a secret location in Townsville. Helicopters seem in good condition with only rotors removed and are well preserved. To counter government’s argument that they are too expensive to assemble, an experienced Taipan maintenance engineer, Stuart Mooney, offered his services to assemble them free of charge. Stuart also denied government’s claims that these helicopters are unsafe.

Today Live on 9 News: Revelations Ukraine expressed interest in Australia’s fleet of Taipan helicopters well before the landfill strategy was planned. Exclusive interview of Liberal senator David Fawcett, who confirms that Ukraine first expressed interest in Taipan helicopters in early October.

7 News: Helicopters to be scrapped. Taipan helicopters are filmed in a secret location in Townsville. They seem to be in good condition with only rotors removed.

Sky News Australia: Albanese government’s ‘rocky relationship’ with Ukraine brought into question. Sky News host Sharri Markson says Ukraine relations is another area in which the Albanese government does not have the “best record”. “Also in question, just this rocky relationship with the Albanese government after they refused to donate our unused Taipan helicopters,” Ms Markson said.

The Eurasian Times: Australia’s ‘Doomed’ MRH90 Helos Gets Airbus Interested; Keen To Acquire Part For Distribution To Other Operators. Airbus and NHIndustries (NHI) are reportedly engaged in talks with the Australian government to salvage valuable components and essential parts from the decommissioned NHI MRH90 Taipan helicopters used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Sky News Australia: ‘Bananas’: Labor’s decision to reject Ukraine’s helicopters request slammed. The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan has criticised the Albanese government’s level of support to Ukraine following its decision to reject a request from Kyiv for MRH-90 Taipan helicopters.

Sky News Australia: Australian government turning Taipan helicopters to scrap despite Ukraine’s request. Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Malcolm Davis says the Australian government turning Taipan helicopters into scrap instead of giving them to Ukraine is a “huge, wasted opportunity”.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 34. In this episode Kym Bergmann discusses his insights into Taipan helicopters being not nearly as expensive to main as the army has been complaining. He also doubts the comments of the government about safety of Taipans, given that Germany has just acquired a new fleet of NH90s (the European name for Taipans).

The Australian: Army Taipan helicopters stripped, but Ukraine undeterred. Kyiv believes that many of the Taipans can still be reassembled. “What’s happened has happened. But let’s move forward. And given the new facts that are on the table on this, there’s a win-win for everybody here”, said Stefan Romaniw from AFUO.

The North West Star: Taipan scandal highlights Defence underperformance. The decision to destroy Taipans on safety concerns is further ridiculed by Germany sending their old Sea King helicopters to Ukraine and replacing them with new and better NH90s (the European name for Taipans).

Flight Global: Germany to donate six Sea Kings to Ukraine. These helicopters are donated because they are being replaced with something better, safer and more advanced… with… drumroll… NH90, also known as Taipans in Australia… those very Taipans that the Australian government would rather pay to chop up and bury than send to Ukraine.

Sky News Australia: ‘Needs support’: Calls to provide aid to Ukraine following government’s Taipan decision. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko says he wants to “turn the page” from the Taipan saga and focus on what else can be provided to help Ukraine.

Sky News Australia: Ukraine Military Pilot: Why We Need Taipans. In an interview with Andrew Bolt a Ukrainian Helicopter Pilot denies the Australian government’s safety concerns about Taipans. He says that Taipans are much safer than any other helicopter that the Ukrainian military are currently flying.

Australian Financial Review: Unwanted Aussie choppers ’1000 times safer than Soviet rubbish’. An interview about Taipans with a Ukrainian helicopter pilot.
Key points: Taipans are much safer than any other helicopter currently used by the Ukrainian army. Ukraine has the capability to transport them at $0 cost to Australia. Ukraine has pilots, technicians and spare parts available. Even if all 45 helicopters are fully dismantled, it would take days (not weeks) to assemble them back.

The Interpreter by Lowy Institute: An Australian strategy for improved aid to Ukraine. The recent debate about the future of the Australian Army’s decommissioned Taipan helicopters has highlighted a lack of coordination and transparency in Australia’s approach to supporting Ukraine. Mick Ryan calls on the Australian government to provide more resources, diplomatic backing, better coordination, and a stronger statement about why democracy matters.

Sky News Australia: ‘Bone-headed’: Labor’s decision to bury Taipan helicopters slammed. The Albanese Labor government’s decision to bury Taipan helicopters is a “bone-headed” decision as Ukraine is requesting them for support, Sky News host Andrew Bolt says.

3AW Radio Melbourne: Former ADF strategy deputy weighs in on why Australia isn’t donating helicopters to Ukraine. Australia has refused a request from Ukraine to donate its out-of-commission Taipan helicopter fleet for use as air ambulances. Director of Strategic Analysis Australia, Peter Jennings, who is a former Australian Defence Force deputy secretary for strategy, says “we’ve got a defence department that couldn’t be bothered”.

The Australian: We’ve let Ukraine down, says Tony Abbott. A former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has expressed disenchantment towards the federal government’s level of support for Ukraine following the decision to decline a request by Kyiv for 45 Taipan helicopters.

Kyiv Post: OPINION: Australia Should Save Face and Donate Its MRH-90 Helicopters to Ukraine. New information reveals that Ukraine offered to take on the risks of receiving Australia’s 45 decommissioned helicopters, yet the Department of Defence plans to bury them anyway.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Lack of reply to Ukraine plea is hard to accept. The article criticises the Albanese government for rejecting so many of Ukraine’s desperate requests for help (such as for Taipan helicopters and coal supplies) without providing reasonable explanations. It seems that the government has misread the high public sympathy for the plight of Ukraine.

Canberra Times: Why wasn’t Kyiv offered the MRH-90s. To say Ukraine’s war fighters have been blindsided by Australia’s refusal to even con- sider letting Kyiv have the ADF’s unwanted MRH-90 Taipan fleet would be the under- statement of the century. The article questions excuses provided by the government for not sending Taipan helicopters to Ukraine.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 33 suggests that the decision to dismantle the Taipans, could still be reversed, and that the government is being advised to do so and to send the remaining Tipans to Ukraine. It is suggested that between 12 and 20 Taipans could today be made available as not all of them are trashed.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Australian government was informed of Ukraine’s interest in Taipan during October. Senator David Fawcett confirmed to APDR that when he returned to Canberra in the middle of the month, he informed the government of his discussions at NATO and the interest expressed by Ukraine’s military in decommissioned Taipans.

Canberra Times: No excuse for disgraceful episode. Bradley Perrett: “The government has brought shame upon this country. As our friends are rushing to send more aid to Ukraine, Australia is destroying valuable military helicopters that could be saving lives in the fight against Russian invasion”.

Sunday Tasmanian: Fears held for families. Ukrainians plead for Aussie help. Ukrainians gathered in Hobart to protest the Australian government’s decision to chop up and bury 45 Taipan helicopters that are so desperately needed in Ukraine to save the lives of their loved ones.

Sky News: Government pressured on claims over Taipans. Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Chair Stefan Romaniw has pleaded to the Australian government to help Ukraine in its “war of values” as “the world loses” if they lose.

The Weekend Australian: Labor’s evasive action on grounded choppers won’t fly. The public deserves an explanation for the rushed scrapping of $1bn worth of Taipans.

Sky News Australia: ‘Unjustifiable’: Top security experts hit back at government’s rejection of Ukraine’s dire request for military helicopters. Two of Australia’s leading security experts have panned the government’s rejection of Ukraine’s request for retired Taipan helicopters and have demanded an inquiry into the decision.

The Weekend Australian: Ukraine turns eyes to France for help. Ukraine explores other options for getting helicopters after the offer to acquire Taipans was rejected by the Australian government.

Sky News Australia: ‘Major error’: Albanese govt denies Ukraine’s plea to ‘save lives’ with retired helicopters. Strategic Analysis Australia Director Michael Shoebridge has criticised the “major error” by the Albanese government of not giving retired helicopters to the Ukrainians because the request said they would be used to “save lives” on the frontline.

The Australian: Coalition says Labor is a weak horse for ignoring Ukraine’s chopper plea. The Coalition has accused the government of weakness for not giving Ukraine the retired fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters to assist the war effort against Russia, with Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie warning Australia was making a “big mistake.”

Spectator Australia: Putin’s useful idiot down under. Mark Higgie in his OpEd argues that Albanese should give Ukraine Australian retired army helicopters not bury them. Mark suggests that the unfriendly act of burying them helps Vladimir Putin to weaken West’s support for Ukraine.

Sky News Australia: ‘It’s insane’: Australia denies Ukrainian aid request for equipment ‘we’re no longer using’ . Prime Minister Albanese has said no to the request for coal that Ukrainians asked for to survive the winter. Now he is saying no to sending Taipan helicopters that we’re going to bury in the ground instead of giving them to Ukraine who desperately need them. This is insane.

Sky News: Government Under Pressure to Give Taipans to Ukraine. Shadow Defence Minister, Andrew Hastie, has called on Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles to “stand up and explain” to the Australian people why he has chosen not to give Ukraine access to Taipan helicopters.

Australian Financial Review: Albanese needs to stop dithering over Ukraine aid. Australia has two perfectly good aircraft types that with a little bit of work and effort could have been provided to the Ukrainians and made a difference on the battlefield. Instead, the dead hand of Defence bureaucracy and timidity of the Albanese government means F/A- 18 fighter jets are left to rust, while Taipan helicopters will be hacked to pieces for spare parts and the remainder of the airframes buried.

The Australian: Labor formally rejects Ukrainian plea for helicopters. Acting Defence Minister Pat Conroy has formally responded to Ukraine, declining the request for Australia to donate its retired fleet of MRH-90 helicopters because it was no longer feasible to return the aircraft to an operational state.

Australian Aviation: Disposing of Taipans ‘Best Value for Money’, Says Conroy. Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy has confirmed the current disposal strategy for the Australian Defence Force’s MRH‑90 Taipan helicopter fleet offers ‘best value for money for Australian taxpayers’.

The Sydney Morning Herald: Grounded Taipan helicopters already stripped for parts, Australia tells Ukraine. Australia has refused Ukraine’s request to donate its retired fleet of Taipan helicopters, saying it is not feasible to return them to flying condition.

Sky News Australia: Government Pressured to Give Choppers to Ukraine. Coverage of the Albanese government’s decision to chop up and burry Taipan Helicopters instead of sending them to Ukraine. Stefan Romaniw from AFUO is interviewed on the issue.

The Australian: Marles ignores Kyiv’s help plea. The article shows the offical request from the head of Ukraine’s special service, Kyrylo Budanov, requesting Taipan helicopters on the 17th of December. There was still no curtesy of a reply to this letter from Richard Marles.

4BC Radio Brisbane: Zelensky calls on Anthony Albanese to send Taipan Helicopters to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky has called upon our Prime Minister to donate our troubled Taipan helicopters. He is not concerned about their safety record.

Nine News Australia: Calls for a senate inquiry into handling of Taipan Helicopters. Journalists are investigating why the Australian government wants 45 Taipan Helicopters to be chopped up and buried instead of sending them to Ukraine.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: No, Minister – Taipan helicopters are extremely safe. Kym Bergmann rejects the safety concerns expressed by the acting defence minister Pat Conroy and confirms that the Taipan’s fatal crash was not a result of a mechanic failure.

ABC News: #FreeTheTaipans protest coverage at Sydney Town Hall on 14/01/2024. ABC journalists reporting for Australian national news.

The Eurasian Times: MRH-90 Choppers: Ukraine Launches ‘Charm Offensive’ To Acquire ‘Defunct’ Taipan Helos From Australia. Ukrainian officials and community members are intensifying their efforts to persuade the Australian government to reconsider its decision to retire and dismantle 45 MRH-90 Taipan helicopters instead of sending them to Ukraine.

ABC Radio: Mounting pressure on government over Taipan helicopters. The interview with Pat Conroy, Defence Industry minister about Taipan Helicopters.

Voice of America: Campaigners Urge Australia to Send Unwanted Military Helicopters to Ukraine. The article talks about Ukraine’s request for 45 Taipan helicopters and the protest against the Australian government’s decision to scrap them instead of sending to Ukraine.

Rubryka: Australia to dispose of Taipan helicopters requested by Ukraine. Ukrainian news report on the decision of the Australian government to destroy Taipan helicopters instead of sending them to Ukraine.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 32 on Taipan Helicopters. Kym Bergmann in his podcast continues with the sorry tale of burying Taipan helicopters rather than donating them to Ukraine. He suggest that this will cost the Defence Minister, Richard Marles, his job because new information is that the Government was made aware in November of Ukraine’s interest, a full month earlier than previously reported. Bergmann suggests to initiate a senate inquiry.

ABC News: Calls for Australia to Donate Retired MRH-90 Helicopters. ABC journalists reporting for Australian national news on the protest against scrapping Taipan helicopters instead of sending them to Ukraine.

Canberra Times: Why are we burying helicopters? The article questions the Australian government’s decision to spend taxpayer money on destroying Taipan helicopters and advocates for sending them to Ukraine instead.

ABC News: Ukraine wants Australia’s decommissioned Taipan fleet, but helicopters appear destined for scrap yard. Interviews with the organisers of the #FreeTheTaipans protest, remarks of the Ukrainian Ambassador and a response from a Defence spokesman.

Kyiv Post: OPINION: Australia – Let Ukraine Have Your “Retired” Taipan Helicopters. The article explains why it’s so important for Ukraine to have the Taipan helicopters and why Australia should send these to Ukraine instead of spending taxpayer money on scrapping them.

Yahoo News: Ukrainian diaspora asks Australia to send 45 retired helicopters to Ukraine. The article reports on the request from the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) to the Australian government to supply Ukraine with 45 decommissioned Taipan helicopters rather than scrapping them.

Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter: Episode 31 on Taipan Helicopters. Kym Bergmann in his podcast asks why is the Australian army destroying 45 perfectly good Taipan helicopters rather than donating them to Ukraine. He calls this the most extraordinary, disappointing and frustrating defence story that he has ever reported on.