Aussie killed fighting in Ukraine

The family of a Queensland man killed in Ukraine are remembering the volunteer foreign fighter as having as being “brave and strong” in his resolve to help others.

Brock Greenwood, 24, had been a volunteer foreign fighter for the Ukrainian International Foreign Legion for the past 15 months.

His family were informed on Saturday he’d been killed after he was reportedly struck by Russian artillery.

Kodie Greenwood said her brother was “much loved” by all those who knew him.

“He fought for what he believed in and followed his heart,” Ms Greenwood wrote on social media.

“He’s my hero and he should be recognised and remembered as the brave, strong, kind, intelligent man he was.”

Brock’s family had tried to stop in him from travelling to Ukraine to join the war efforts.

His decision to travel to Ukraine to fight had previously been condemned by his family, who had tried to stop his original plan to leave Australia.

But their efforts were thwarted when Brock managed to catch a flight to Melbourne and then on to Poland without their knowledge.

“It was his choice,” Ms Greenwood told 7 News.

“Even though we stopped him once, he said to me: ‘I’m still going to go, but I can’t be around you and mum because you make me feel guilty and make me want to stay. But it’s what I want to do’.

“He truly was selfless. He wanted to put his life on the line to help people.”

Ms Greenwood said their only concern about Brock’s determination to fight was that he had no military experience.

“That’s what we were really worried about,” she said.

It’s understood the Department of Foreign Affairs is providing the family with consular assistance.

Australians have been discouraged from travelling to Ukraine, with the federal government enforcing a “do not travel” alert in place for the war-torn country.