Canadian National Defense Minister Bill Blair announced a donation of C$33 million ($24.38 million) to the International Fund for Ukraine, a UK-led initiative to purchase military aid for Kiev.
Canada’s contribution will be used to purchase for Ukraine “hundreds of short- and medium-range anti-aircraft missiles and related systems necessary to protect Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure.”
The funds will come from new C$500 million military aid funding for Ukraine announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a visit to Kiev in June.
The Canadian Department of Defense recalled that the total volume of Canadian assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation is more than $8 billion, of which more than $1.8 billion went to military assistance.
As part of this assistance, Canada provided Ukraine with AIM-7 missiles, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery ammunition, Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and an armored recovery vehicle, a NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system with ammunition, 39 armored combat support vehicles, and anti-tank weapons , small arms, M777 howitzers and ammunition, high-definition drone cameras, winter clothing and the like.
In addition, more than 300 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are participating in Operation UNIFER to train Ukrainian military personnel.
The International Fund for Ukraine was created by Great Britain in partnership with Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Lithuania. In June it became known that the fund would be replenished with a further £92 million to purchase air defense equipment for Ukraine.
Source : PRAVDA