An Australian volunteer has been killed while working for a humanitarian organization in Ukraine.
This was confirmed on Monday by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ukrinform reports citing Reuters.
“Out of respect for the family’s privacy and consistent with our obligations, there is a limit to what we can say publicly at this time. I can confirm he wasn’t a participant in the conflict (the war in Ukraine – ed.), he was volunteering with a humanitarian organization,” Albanese told reporters.
Albanese said the foreign affairs department was providing support for the man’s family, but did not provide any specifics.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp said in a report, citing an unidentified military source in Ukraine, the man and his British colleague died last week near Izium, Kharkiv region, from injuries suffered when an improved explosive device went off in a building.
The Australian man was working for the U.S.-based Prevail Together, the ABC said. The organization provides support to Ukrainian government agencies with landmine clearance, trauma medical care and humanitarian assistance.
As reported by Ukrinform, last week, news emerged that Chris Garrett, a 40-year-old British volunteer involved in mine clearance efforts, was killed in Ukraine.
Garrett was the founder of Prevail Together, an organization dedicated to humanitarian work. According to the organization, he and several team members were seriously injured during an incident near Izium.
