Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed an Australian man, Michael O’Neill has been killed amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
O’Neill was in Ukraine as a humanitarian aid worker. He was driving trucks transporting injured and wounded Ukrainians on the front line of the war, per 9News.
At a press conference on Saturday, Albanese described the death as a “tragedy”.
“I want to give my condolences to the family of the person involved. The family has requested that their privacy be respected.”
“The Australian authorities through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade [DFAT] are providing consular support to the family”.
A DFAT spokesperson told the ABC it had been in contact with the man’s family.
“DFAT is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian killed in Ukraine. For privacy reasons we are unable to provide further information,” they said.
O’Neill was a father of three and one of six siblings.
Per the ABC, an obituary to Michael O’Neill appeared in Tassie publication The Hobart Mercury.
It said: “We are all so proud of you, you did it your way.”
One of his family members made a Facebook post remembering O’Neill.
“Always looking for a cause, he headed to Ukraine to drive trucks helping citizens flee the country,” it said.
There’ll be a memorial service held in his honour at a Tasmanian football club in June.
Russia is currently advancing east in its invasion. There have so far been around 4000 civilian deaths reported in Ukraine.
