Video footage released by Minister of National Defence Bill Blair shows military tanks manufactured by Canadians being loaded onto trucks to be transported to Ukraine. The tanks, assembled in London, ON, are the first four of a promised 50 to continue to fuel the Russia-Ukraine war. Blair on Thursday promised at an international meeting Canada would provide Ukraine with even more military equipment and personnel to train Ukraine soldiers. The announcements come after the Department of National Defence (DND) in March disclosed internal documents that show Canada’s own combat readiness is weakening, with only 58% of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) able to respond in the event of a crisis. The same report said 46% of Canada’s defence equipment is riddled with “challenges” and is “unavailable and unserviceable.” The armoured vehicles are being sent to the Ukraine Armed Forces in batches, and its troops will undergo training this summer to learn how to use the tanks in battle. “These state-of-the-art armoured vehicles will fulfill a wide variety of roles on the battlefield,” wrote Blair on social media. They include “armoured ambulances, which come with medical equipment and armour that will enable Ukraine’s troops to safely evacuate and treat wounded personnel.”“Ukraine must win this war – and Ukraine can count on Canada’s support until its victory,” pledged Canada’s defence minister. “Canada is proud to be providing Ukraine with these new vehicles, and I thank all the workers in London who built these vehicles for Ukraine’s heroes.”.The Department of National Defence on Thursday morning released a statement announcing Blair has promised even more “additional military assistance for Ukraine” while attending the 23rd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium. “Minister Blair and his counterparts reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and received a battlefield update from Ukraine,” reads the Government of Canada statement. The meeting was attended by representatives from 50 countries, the US included. Blair announced at the international meeting Canada “plans to send an initial tranche of 2,300 CRV7 rocket motors to Ukraine,” weapons retired by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).He also promised Canada “will donate 29 Nanuk Remote Weapons Systems from surplus CAF inventory,” which are remote weapon-activation systems. Canada will also “send more than 130,000 rounds of surplus small arms ammunition” to Ukraine, pledged Blair. Blair earlier promised, and is in the process of following through, donating to Ukraine 900 Canadian-made drones for “surveillance” and transportation of supplies” and 10 rigid-hull multi-role boats and training to go along with them. Blair after Thursday’s international meeting put his pledges in writing and “signed the Armour Capability Coalition Letter of Intent, formalizing Canada’s membership in the Coalition,” the national security department wrote in a statement.
Video footage released by Minister of National Defence Bill Blair shows military tanks manufactured by Canadians being loaded onto trucks to be transported to Ukraine. The tanks, assembled in London, ON, are the first four of a promised 50 to continue to fuel the Russia-Ukraine war. Blair on Thursday promised at an international meeting Canada would provide Ukraine with even more military equipment and personnel to train Ukraine soldiers. The announcements come after the Department of National Defence (DND) in March disclosed internal documents that show Canada’s own combat readiness is weakening, with only 58% of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) able to respond in the event of a crisis. The same report said 46% of Canada’s defence equipment is riddled with “challenges” and is “unavailable and unserviceable.” The armoured vehicles are being sent to the Ukraine Armed Forces in batches, and its troops will undergo training this summer to learn how to use the tanks in battle. “These state-of-the-art armoured vehicles will fulfill a wide variety of roles on the battlefield,” wrote Blair on social media. They include “armoured ambulances, which come with medical equipment and armour that will enable Ukraine’s troops to safely evacuate and treat wounded personnel.”“Ukraine must win this war – and Ukraine can count on Canada’s support until its victory,” pledged Canada’s defence minister. “Canada is proud to be providing Ukraine with these new vehicles, and I thank all the workers in London who built these vehicles for Ukraine’s heroes.”.The Department of National Defence on Thursday morning released a statement announcing Blair has promised even more “additional military assistance for Ukraine” while attending the 23rd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium. “Minister Blair and his counterparts reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and received a battlefield update from Ukraine,” reads the Government of Canada statement. The meeting was attended by representatives from 50 countries, the US included. Blair announced at the international meeting Canada “plans to send an initial tranche of 2,300 CRV7 rocket motors to Ukraine,” weapons retired by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).He also promised Canada “will donate 29 Nanuk Remote Weapons Systems from surplus CAF inventory,” which are remote weapon-activation systems. Canada will also “send more than 130,000 rounds of surplus small arms ammunition” to Ukraine, pledged Blair. Blair earlier promised, and is in the process of following through, donating to Ukraine 900 Canadian-made drones for “surveillance” and transportation of supplies” and 10 rigid-hull multi-role boats and training to go along with them. Blair after Thursday’s international meeting put his pledges in writing and “signed the Armour Capability Coalition Letter of Intent, formalizing Canada’s membership in the Coalition,” the national security department wrote in a statement.
