Australia will send 70 soldiers to Britain to help train Ukrainian troops and send another 30 armored personnel carriers to Kiev, Reuters reported.

"We expect this now to be a protracted conflict," Defence Minister Richard Marles told ABC television. The latest package takes Australia's support for Ukraine to about A$655 million ($425 million) since the conflict began in February.

"We're mindful that Ukraine needs to now be supported over the longer term if we're going to put Ukraine in a position where it can resolve this conflict on its own terms," he said.

Marles said the Australian military, which will arrive in Britain in January, will join a British-led international exercise but will not enter the war zone in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked Australia for the latest assistance. "(The Bushmaster) armoured vehicles have shown excellent results on the battlefield and we requested more of them. We will always remember Australia's support!," he tweeted.