Canada allocates a new assistance package and continues a training mission for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Canada will provide approximately $34 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine.

The press service of the Ministry of National Defense of Canada reported this.

In addition, Ottawa will extend its training mission in the United Kingdom under Operation UNIFIER until the end of 2023.

This package of military aid meets the urgent needs identified by Ukraine.

“Canada is unwavering in its commitment to helping Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion. Today’s announcement will further help Ukraine meet its urgent needs as it continues to make progress in reclaiming its territory. Canada’s military contributions, including training, equipment, and transport, have been integral in Ukraine’s counter-offensive to date, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine, in the short and long term,” Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, mentioned after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting also known as the Rammstein format.

This latest military aid package includes:

• approximately $5 million to continue providing critical satellite imagery to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU);
• more than $18 million for additional, high-resolution drone cameras;
• up to $10 million to provide additional winter gear to support the AFU, including portable heaters, thermal blankets, and sleeping bags.

The cameras and satellite imagery are critical for surveillance, reconnaissance, and gathering intelligence, and will complement the $17.38M in satellite imagery and 62 drone cameras for Ukraine that Canada has already committed.

It is emphasized that this batch comes from existing funds and complements the $500 million in additional military assistance for Ukraine that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday, November 14.

The money will be used for military surveillance and communications equipment, fuel, and medical equipment.

As previously reported, in August 2022, Canada relaunched Operation Unifier for the Ukrainian servicemen. The training is being conducted in Great Britain.

The training follows a flexible curriculum focusing on the individual skills of the soldier required for frontline combat, including weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, and patrol tactics.

The Canadian government stressed that operation UNIFIER was launched back in 2015 at the request of the Ukrainian government, and early this year, it was expanded and extended until March 2025. The training mission helps to form and increase the capacity of Ukraine’s law enforcement institutions while working towards achieving interoperability with NATO.