Overview
- Australia’s foreign ministry said it is aware of reports that an Australian has died in Ukraine and is seeking confirmation from local authorities.
- Media reports identify the man as Russell Allan Wilson, with accounts saying he was killed in early December near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
- A friend who fought with him told the ABC that Wilson died on his final mission before leave and was due to be married shortly afterward.
- Multiple social media posts and Russian war bloggers have shared news of his death, with differing dates cited as December 10 or 12.
- DFAT has not confirmed the name due to privacy obligations and says consular help is constrained by the war, as the government reiterates its advice not to travel to Ukraine.