Latest news with #CalebList
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Aussie tradie Caleb List who went missing in Ukraine is sentenced by Russian court
A Queensland builder who joined the Ukrainian Foreign Legion before he went missing in April has been sentenced 'in absentia' by a Russian court. Caleb List signed up with the Ukrainian army following the Russian invasion in 2022, after having been rejected from joining the Australian Defence Force. The 25-year-old from Gladstone is believed to have died last month after being hit by artillery fire in a contested territory near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, though his body has not been found. On Friday, the self-declared Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic - a far eastern Ukrainian region that is temporarily under Russian occupation - sentenced Mr List to 14 years in prison as a mercenary, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. The court has previously sentenced other foreign volunteers who joined Ukrainian military to death. According to the Kyiv Post, international legal experts said that the findings of court were 'meaningless'. 'One international lawyer who has worked extensively in Ukraine and Russia said ''If there is no country – there is no court,'' and any international court that would review the case would immediately throw out the rulings,' the paper said. Since enlisting, Mr List had sent encrypted messages from Ukraine's trenches to Daily Mail Australia journalist Jonica Bray, sharing exclusive updates on his time in the war-ravaged country. Thousands of foreign fighters like Mr List had signed up to help defend Ukraine, despite warnings from their governments, including Australia, not to travel there. 'It's not as crazy as most people think,' he said about what day-to-day was like in a warzone that's seen almost one million people killed or wounded,' Caleb said. 'There are scary moments and bad thing happen around Ukraine every day, but it's a normal country and it still has to operate like one. 'The only thing is there's a giant war in the background.' The Aussie tradie spent anywhere from days to weeks in the trenches alongside both local soldiers and other foreign legion members of the army. 'It could be quiet. We could get bombed or the trench could get assaulted,' he said. 'Then I come home to the back lines, I do some training, eat some food, work on hobbies, call and message family, friends and other loved ones. 'Kind of like what normal people do on their weekends. Then, the cycle repeats itself.' Mr List said he decided to head to Europe in 2022 to fulfill his lifelong dream of one day becoming a soldier and participating in military action. His initial plan was to join the French Foreign Legion, but while on his way to France to sign up, Russia invaded Ukraine, and his whole life changed. While on a drunken night out in Poland, Mr List crossed the border and headed to a tent with the sign 'Legionnaire.' After about a month of basic training, he was transferred to the frontline, but kept the news from his family. Mr List said he used various encrypted apps to communicate because he believed that as an Australian, he had a bounty on his head. 'It puts my life in danger if they know where I am,' he said. 'I just become a target on pro-Russian Telegram [messaging apps] groups.' This week, Russia's defense ministry said its forces were advancing at key points along the front, and pro-Russian war bloggers said Russia had pierced Ukrainian lines between Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, the heaviest frontline battles were around Pokrovsk and made no reference to any Russian advances. As Russia, Ukraine, the United States and European powers consider the sequencing of a possible end to the more than three-year conflict in Ukraine, the drone war continues and fighting is intensifying in some key areas of the front. Russia's defense ministry said 105 drones had been shot down over Russian regions between midnight and the early morning of Thursday, including 35 over the Moscow region. The previous day, Russia said it shot down well over 300 Ukrainian drones. Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, said multiple drones had been shot down heading towards the capital, which along with the surrounding region has a population of 21 million people.
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- News.com.au
Tragic last messages from Aussie tradie feared dead in Ukraine
A Queensland tradie feared dead after fighting for Ukraine told his family he was overseas studying in Germany when he had returned to the frontline, according to his final messages sent before he went missing. Caleb List, 25, was reported missing last month after his unit came under artillery fire near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, which has been regularly bombarded by Russia since it launched its invasion three years ago. A Ukrainian military source said it was 'unlikely' Mr List was alive and that it was 'almost impossible' to retrieve a body in the area at the moment. Ukrainian officials told NewsWire they could not comment on Mr List's fate without a body. Mr List, who always wanted to be a soldier and was working at Queensland's Yarwun refinery before leaving for Ukraine, said he joined the Ukrainian war effort after being knocked back by the Australian Defence Force. In encrypted messages sent in March weeks before he was reported missing, the 25-year-old – who would spend his time in Ukraine fighting on the frontline and then moving to the backline in a repeating 'cycle' – told the Daily Mail his family did not know he had returned to combat and was fighting on the front. 'I went back to the front again. I have some more scars, but I'm good living the dream,' he wrote. 'At the moment my parents think that I am studying over in Germany. 'I will tell them soon. But at the moment there are bigger family problems to deal with than my choice in profession.' According to the publication, Mr List was taking part in his third stint of the job at the time of the messages. The tradie said he was earning $3,900 per month with a 'combat bonus' of $2,698 for every 30 days spent on the frontline. Mr List said he planned to stay in Ukraine until he was 'ready to leave'. 'Why I'm still here? It is not a fully easy question to answer,' he wrote. 'There are several things that make me stay here and choose to continue to serve under the Ukrainian Army. 'But it seems quite selfish to leave all my Ukrainian friends behind to deal with a war.' In other messages, the tradie claimed living in a war zone was 'not as crazy as most people think'. 'There are scary moments and bad thing happen around Ukraine every day, but it's a normal country and it still has to operate like one. 'The only thing is there's a giant war in the background.' Mr List told SBS in 2023 that he had previously 'tried a couple of attempts' to join the Australian Defence Force. 'For obvious reasons, I got rejected – just a bit young and dumb, made some bad choices,' he said. 'I wanted something new … I was sick of the job, I was sick of just being a labourer.' Mr List also told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle he wanted to 'push myself to the extreme'. 'Deeply troubling' Anthony Albanese said reports of Mr List's disappearance were 'deeply troubling' and urged Australians not to travel to Ukraine. 'My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the gentlemen concerned,' the Prime Minister said on Wednesday. 'DFAT are working in the way that they do to make sure the proper notifications are occurring.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong would not confirm on Wednesday what Australian officials knew about Mr List's status, citing privacy reasons. 'I'm always constrained in terms of these matters as a result of privacy,' she told the ABC. 'But, I would just simply say that this is a very dangerous place to be and … we are assisting, providing consular assistance to a family in relation to this matter.' Senator Wong said she did not know how many Australians were in Ukraine. 'I don't have numbers on that,' she said. 'But I would say to people, I would strongly discourage that. We have a do-not-travel arrangement with Ukraine. 'I understand people feel strongly about this conflict, but this is not something the government would be supporting – that is, Australians joining fighting in Ukraine.' Another Australian killed in Ukraine Earlier this week, authorities confirmed another Australian, Nick Parsons, had been killed in the same area. Mr Parsons, a former Australian soldier, was working for landmine clearance non-profit Prevail Together. The Prime Minister publicly expressed his 'deepest condolences and sympathies' to Mr Parsons' family at a press conference on Monday. 'I can confirm he wasn't a participant in the conflict, he was volunteering with a humanitarian organisation,' he said. 'I do want to remind Australians that Ukraine is a do not travel zone. The situation is extremely dangerous and we continue to strongly advise all Australians not to travel to Ukraine, under any circumstances.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Read the tragic last messages from the Aussie tradie feared dead in in Ukraine - and the little white lies he told his parents to stop them worrying
An Australian tradie feared killed by Russian forces had told his family he was studying at a German university while actually fighting on the frontline in Ukraine. Queenslander Caleb List opened up in a series of haunting messages to Daily Mail Australia in the months before he vanished and is now feared dead. He had been serving in the Ukrainian army since 2022 after he had been rejected from joining the Australian military, he said. The 25-year-old from Gladstone is believed to have died last month after being hit by artillery fire in a contested territory near the city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region. Since enlisting, Mr List had sent encrypted messages from Ukraine's trenches to Daily Mail Australia journalist Jonica Bray to give updates on his time in the war-ravaged country. In them, he revealed the real reason he was risking his life to fight for Ukraine, why he was a prized target for Russia, and why he kept it all secret from his parents. 'It's not as crazy as most people think,' he said about what day-to-day was like in a warzone that's seen almost one million killed or wounded. 'There are scary moments and bad thing happen around Ukraine every day, but it's a normal country and it still has to operate like one. 'The only thing is there's a giant war in the background.' Thousands of foreign fighters like Mr List had signed up to help defend Ukraine, despite warnings from their governments, including Australia, not to travel there. The Aussie tradie spent anywhere from days to weeks in the trenches where he was heavily armed, alongside both local soldiers and other foreign legion members of the army. 'It could be quiet. We could get bombed or the trench could get assaulted,' he said. 'Then I come home to the back lines, I do some training, eat some food, work on hobbies, call and message family, friends and other loved ones. 'Kind of like what normal people do on their weekends. Then, the cycle repeats itself.' He said he volunteered to defend Ukraine - which he'd never visited previously - after being shunned by the Australian Defence Force. Despite that setback, Mr List decided to head to Europe in 2022 to fulfill his lifelong dream of one day becoming a soldier and see military action. His initial plan was to join the French Foreign Legion, but while on his way to France to sign up, Russia invaded Ukraine, and his whole life changed. While on a drunken binge in Poland, Mr List crossed the border where he spotted a tent with the sign 'Legionnaire.' He enrolled and then admitted he blacked out in a drunken stupor for the rest of the day. That night the entire base was blown up in an artillery attack and Mr List and others had to flee into the neighbouring forest to take cover. After about a month of basic training, he was transferred to the frontline, but kept the news from his family. Mr List said he used various encrypted apps to communicate because he believed that as an Australian, he had a bounty on his head. 'It puts my life in danger if they know where I am,' he said. 'I just become a target on pro-Russian Telegram [messaging apps] groups.' Mr List's last messages were received in March, just a few weeks before he is believed to have been killed in April. In those messages, Mr List revealed his parents still did not know he was back in combat. 'I went back to the front again. I have some more scars, but I'm good living the dream,' he said. 'At the moment my parents think that I am studying over in Germany. 'I will tell them soon. But at the moment there are bigger family problems to deal with than my choice in profession.' It's believed this was Mr List's third stint in a job that he insisted 'pays well' at $3.900 per month with a 'combat bonus' of $2,698 for every 30 days you are on the frontline. 'That's triple the average Ukrainian wage,' he said. With no family connections, heritage or affiliations with the Ukraine, Mr List said he was used to people asking him why he's there, but after three years he was still unsure how to reply. 'Why I'm still here? It is not a fully easy question to answer,' he admitted to Daily Mail Australia. 'There are several things that make me stay here and choose to continue to serve under the Ukrainian Army. 'But it seems quite selfish to leave all my Ukrainian friends behind to deal with a war. 'I'll stay until I'm ready to leave.' Mr List's uncle Michael Connolly spoke to media on Thursday and said the family is devastated by news of his likely death, but had not yet given up all hope. 'We're all in a bit of shock and we all are waiting on news to come out of the area,' Mr Connolly said.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Family of Australian man feared dead in Ukraine hopeful Caleb List is alive
The family of a Queensland man feared killed fighting in Ukraine says they are in shock and holding onto hope he is alive. Caleb List, 25, of Gladstone, was part of the Ukrainian foreign legion, a Ukrainian ground forces military unit of international volunteers. He joined the unit in 2022 and sources have told the ABC he is believed to have died last month during heavy fighting in the Kharkiv region. His uncle, Michael Connolly, said he was fulfilling his dream to be a soldier. "He'd always wanted to be a soldier." He said so far, the family have not had any confirmation about his remains and whether they had been found. "When they can't produce anything of that nature, then there's always hope," Mr Connolly said. He said previously Mr List had been in regular contact with both his parents, but communication was difficult at times. "From the communication that was received he was always happy and healthy and well." Mr Connolly said about 16 months after he first went to Ukraine in 2022, his nephew returned to Australia to visit his family. "We were not aware that he was going to re-enlist … so it was a bit of a surprise," he said. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said consular assistance was being provided to Mr List's family. The advice remains for people not to travel to Ukraine. Mr Connolly described his nephew as a "gentle soul" who would help anyone in need. He said Mr List was passionate about the army and had spent a lot of his young life involved in the army cadets. "He would have lived there if he was possibly able to, his fascination with the armed forces was from a young age," Mr Connolly said. Mr List had previously been rejected to serve in the Australian Army. "It's really hard to speak on his behalf with regards to how and why he did it [fighting in Ukraine]," Mr Connolly said. "His desire to be a soldier was very strong and he wanted to help and make a difference. "From my observation as his uncle, I just saw a young man who lit up whenever he was doing anything with the soldiering side of life." Mr Connolly said as a young child, Mr List was energetic, loved sports and was hands-on. "He was always fixing things on his father's property. He was brought up in the country," he said. Mr Connolly said Mr List spent most of his childhood and adult life in the Gladstone region. Mr List previously worked as a trade assistant at Queensland's Yarwun refinery. Mr Connolly urged the public not to make a value judgement about Mr List. "We pray that he will come back home. "It's very hard to speak about him in past tense because in my mind, he's not — he's not gone."
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Australian believed killed fighting in Ukraine
Andy Park: A Queensland labourer who travelled to Ukraine three years ago to join the fight against Russia is feared to have been killed in battle with authorities yet to locate his remains. Caleb List: I wanted to test myself. I wanted to, like, again, I wanted to join the French Foreign Legion. I wanted to push myself to the extreme. So, I came here with the same motivation and basically done that. And now I just, I just do this because that's the only thing I'm really good at. Andy Park: Former Gladstone resident Caleb List speaking to the German public broadcaster last year. The ABC's defence correspondent Andrew Greene has the story. Andrew, what do we know about Caleb List's journey to the front line? Andrew Greene: He's a young man in his twenties and had lived in Gladstone in Queensland. He'd worked at the Yarwan refinery as a trade assistant, according to his social media pages. In about 2022, he noticed what was happening in Ukraine and decided to head to Europe to join the Foreign Legion in armed services. But before doing so, we also know that Caleb List had been an army cadet while at school and had tried unsuccessfully to join the Australian army. So, three years ago, like other foreign fighters around the world, he made the journey to Ukraine to enlist in that country's Foreign Legion. Andy Park: And what do we know about his presumed death? Andrew Greene: We believe that he has been missing since late April. So, members of his unit, the Foreign Legion in which he was serving, say he has not been seen since about April 28. He was taking part in fierce fighting that was occurring in eastern Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, near the city of Izhimur. But the Australian has not been heard of since and his comrades fear that he has been killed and his body has been unable to be recovered. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is not saying very much at all. In fact, it's citing privacy reasons for not commenting, but it has again reminded Australians not to travel to that part of the world. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, was speaking to the ABC this morning and did confirm that the case was being examined. Penny Wong: I'm always constrained in terms of these matters as a result of privacy. But I will just simply say that this is a very dangerous place to be. And we are assisting, providing consular assistance to a family in relation to this matter. Andy Park: Foreign Minister Penny Wong there. And Andrew, what do we know about the other Australians who have been captured or killed in Ukraine? Andrew Greene: Since the war broke out, there have been a number of Australians confirmed as killed on the Ukrainian battlefield. Precise numbers tend to vary, but it's certainly getting close to a dozen Australians who have now lost their life in Ukraine. We know there's also a high profile prisoner of war, Oscar Jenkins, who remains in Russian captivity. Earlier this week, also confirmation that in recent days, another Australian man and a former soldier, Nick Parsons, was killed while working for a non-government organisation clearing landmines in Ukraine. He was killed in an incident that is believed to involve an improvised explosive device, which killed him and a British national. Andy Park: Defence correspondent Andrew Greene.
