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‘Like a house on wheels’: Australia’s Bushmasters prove their mettle on the front line

So far, Australia has sent Ukraine 20 Bushmasters and six light-weight towed howitzer cannons.

The soldiers here say they want more Bushmasters, as well as howitzers, tanks and long-range missiles.

Vitaly says the Bushmaster is “a lot better” than Ukraine’s Soviet-era BTR vehicles.

“First of all, it’s very comfortable. It has air-conditioning, it’s like a house on wheels. I would have lived inside. I stay in it all the time,” Vitaly says.

Ukraine now only has 19 Bushmasters, after one was taken out by the Russians in an attack near the village of Trypillia. Vitaly, who was close to the attack when it happened, says everyone survived.

“I was there, I saw that Bushmaster go in for the first time, bring the guys back and then go in a second time. And then it got hit,” Vitaly says.

The commander of the team, who goes by the nickname Technik, says the attack demonstrated the quality of the Australian vehicle because it protected all the men inside.

“It’s armoured inside and that’s a big plus for this vehicle because it protects the safety and the health of the soldiers inside,” he says. “If we had more vehicles like this, we would save more lives - and the lives of our soldiers are the most important thing.”

Russia-Ukraine war: Australian Bushmasters prove their mettle on the Donbas frontline (smh.com.au)