Australia expands Ukraine military training mission, faces growing pressure to re-open embassy in Kyiv

Defence personnel who've been training Ukrainian military recruits will be welcomed home as the Albanese government announces a $186 million expansion and extension of the "Operation Kudu" assistance mission. Key points: Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has welcomed the $186m funding boost Australia will deploy additional personnel to the UK-led training mission Numerous other nations including Indonesia, most EU states and Canada have returned their diplomats to Kyiv With the war against Russia approaching two years, Labor is also under growing pressure to reopen Australia's embassy in Kyiv, one of the few diplomatic posts that remains shut in the capital. "Our ADF personnel are providing critical skills to Ukrainian recruits as part of Operation Kudu to support Ukraine to defend against Russia's ongoing invasion," Mr Marles said. Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham said the Coalition continued to call on the Albanese Government to reinstate Australia's ambassador and the Australian embassy to Ukraine, in Kyiv. "By not reinstating the Australian embassy to Kyiv the Albanese Government is out of step with much of the rest of world, including Australia's top diplomatic partners," he said.