"Today, I’ve made a decision to extend Operation UNIFIER for another three years, expand this training operation, and provide immediate assistance to Ukraine," Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announced during a press conference in Ottawa on January 26, Ukrinform reported.
Canadian federal government estimated the cost of its assistance package, including the mission extension, at $340 million. Separately, the government offered Ukraine another $50 million in humanitarian aid, along with a promise to beef up Canada's diplomatic presence in the country.
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Another 60 troops will be dispatched right away to bolster the contingent of 200 soldiers already on the ground and helping to instruct the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Additional troops could be sent if necessary and the size of the mission contingent could be increased to 400, Trudeau said.
"I authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 personnel within days to join the approximate 200 women and men already on the ground with further capacity to increase the number of people on the ground up to 400," the Prime Minister stressed.
He added that Canada would also "provide non-lethal equipment to Ukraine, share intelligence data, and help counter cyberattacks."
"Our commitment to Operation UNIFIER ensures that the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to support Ukraine's security forces so that Ukraine can defend its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity," Trudeau said.
As CBC reports, Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) will provide Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment, including body armour, metal detectors, thermal binoculars, laser range finders, tactical medical bags and surveillance technology.
The Canadian military is tasking its electronic eavesdropping service — the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) — with cooperating on intelligence and cyber security with Ukraine. The increased support will make Ukraine better able to defend itself from a range of threats, the prime minister said.
Defence Minister of Canada Anita Anand says the extension and expansion of Canada's military training mission is the "most significant contribution Canada can make" to Ukraine as it stares down a potential Russian invasion. Ukraine is asking Canada to send lethal military equipment.
About 200 Canadian servicemembers are currently deployed in central and western Ukraine, headquartered at Yavoriv, Lviv region, as part of Operation UNIFIER. Since the mission began in 2015, more than 33,000 Ukrainian servicemembers have been trained.
As Defense Express reported, UK sent 2,000 anti-tank missiles to Ukraine amid heightened tensions with Russia. Therewith a group of around 30 elite British troops arrived in Ukraine to help train the Ukrainian armed forces on new anti-tank weapons.
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