Dr Sonia Mycak - who has family in Ukraine - says anxiety has "just become anguish" amid the unfolding events seen in recent days.
Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies Dr Sonia Mycak told Sky News Australia her cousin's son enlisted to fight eight years ago when the war began and vowed to do so again this time.
"He had been telling me that in the event of a full-scale invasion, he would organise for his wife and two young children to evacuate but that he would stay and fight," she said.
Dr Mycak said that on a Viber video call with him, he was dressed in army attire and instead of saying "a usual goodbye", he said "farewell".
"I can only hope that he will return home alive."
