Desperation re-contextualises notion of combat readiness

When Russia sent its invasion force in, by road, on February 24, 2022, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was offered evacuation out of the country.

He instead said (in Ukranian), "the fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride," and he remained in the capital to lead his nation from the inside.

There were multiple reasons for him to expect such support, not least of which was the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances signed on December 5, 1994 by the US, UK and Russia, providing financial assistance and a list of security assurances in exchange for Ukraine, along with Kazakhstan and Belarus, handing their Soviet-spec nuclear weapons over to Russia.

Meanwhile as a NATO partner (not member) Australia provides support (whether it's hardware, training personnel, or in some cases fighting forces) to various conflicts that NATO or its members support.

What we get out of it (along with our other more direct strategic partnerships with other nations who have big military forces such as the UK and US) is knowing we're not completely on our own if we ever need to defend Australia and our epic shoreline (as well as ensuring the constant delivery of fuel for combustion engines since we import about 90 per cent of the refined product we use and still have barely three weeks' worth stored).

This also acts as a deterrent in a way, to the point where most Aussies feel so safe and secure and unthreatened internationally that they can't comprehend why we take this strategy of 'hurt or bully me and my bigger brothers will come after you', a strategy which requires consistently ensuring those 'bigger brothers' still care about us enough to actually step in if and when needed.

While waiting for the West to send ammo - and Ukraine is still pleading for more because they desperately, and constantly, need more in order to continue resisting Russia's deep reserves and mobilisation actions - the Ukranians have been rather creative.

Possibly the first example was some groups of civilians preparing Molotov cocktails to help resist anything unarmoured or flammable.

As for motorised equipment, various all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have been fitted with light weapons to resist incoming tanks.

One hobbyist from western Ukraine who made fast and fun off-road buggies offered a few to the Ukranian Army to use them as scout, attack and evacuation vehicles. Their response was to ask him make as many as he could so now Volodymyr Sadyk, founder of Vold Buggies, does this full-time, along with a small team, manufacturing them, and repairing damaged ones, as fast as they can.

Apart from speed, the other advantage of ATVs and buggies is they have less trouble with muddy terrain than heavy armoured vehicles (whether they're tanks, transport or other combat designs).

A later example of improvisation has become small anti-drone and anti-troop missile systems like the VAMPIRE 70mm getting mounted on the back of civilian-style off-road utes (or pickups as the Americans like to call them). The US is supplying these with this specific mounting method in mind.

In September 2022 Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko was specifically asking Australia for a further 30 Bushmaster vehicles - built in Bendigo - and 30 of the new Hawkei vehicles (a long-range patrol vehicle, sort-of Australia's answer to the Humvee).

When you're willing and desperate enough to use any vehicles you can get your hands on, whether they were meant for combat or not, Australia's reasoning for not sending the Hawkei yet, because it was still having some brake issues, would have seemed a bit cold.

However, I can also see why Australia, and Thales (manufacturer of the Bushmaster and Hawkei) wouldn't want to have their international reputations hurt by reports of failing or unreliable vehicles doing more harm than good on the battlefield.