Stag Special

Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, and CDS Gen Wayne Eyre participated via video link in the 12th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting, hosted by United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.

During the meeting, Allies and partners discussed the current battlefield situation in Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes by providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with comprehensive military assistance.

Anand announced May 25 Canada is expanding its presence in Poland under Opn UNIFIER. Five additional Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) medical trainers will be deployed to Poland to join the seven CAF members already deployed on the advanced medical skills training program for Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel. These additional CAF members will double the number of potential Ukrainian graduates.

“Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering. When I travel across Canada, I see Ukrainian flags on homes, small businesses, and cars – because Canadians understand that Ukraine’s fight to defend itself is also a fight for sovereignty, freedom, and independence,” she said.

“At today’s productive meeting, we discussed Ukraine’s most pressing defence priorities, and I reaffirmed that Canada will be there to support Ukraine in the short and the long-term.”

The Defence Minister also noted that under Op UNIFIER, the CAF and Latvian National Armed Forces began jointly delivering Junior Officer leadership development training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine May 15. This line of effort was recently announced by her during the visit to Canada of the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Ināra Mūrniece.

Since the start of Op UNIFIER in 2015, the CAF has trained more than 36,000 members of the Security Forces of Ukraine in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills, with more than 2,400 trained since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Anand further announced that Canada is donating 43 AIM-9 missiles to Ukraine, from CAF inventory, and noted this donation will help Ukraine to secure its skies in the face of ongoing Russian attacks.

She also noted that delivery of the donation packages of small arms and ammunition announced in April is on track. Machine guns, assault rifles, cleaning kits, and magazines have already been delivered to Ukraine, and one million rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition and 4,800 assault rifles are scheduled to be delivered in the coming weeks. All 21,000 small arms and 2.4-million rounds of ammunition are expected to be in Ukraine by the summer.

Thanks to the ongoing work of the RCAF detachment in Prestwick, Scotland, Canada has now transported more than nine-million pounds of Ukraine-bound military aid donated by Canada, Allies, and partners within Europe.

Canada remains committed to working closely with Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with the support it needs as it continues its brave fight against Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war.

Quick Facts

• The Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) was created by the United States Secretary of Defense in April 2022 to provide a strategic mechanism to identify critical equipment needs and gaps for Ukraine, allow Allies and partners to synchronize donations, consult, and coordinate military assistance to Ukraine, and build the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Convening monthly at the ministerial level, the UDCG now brings together nearly 50 countries. 

• Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed more than $8-billion in aid to Ukraine, including more than $1-billion in military assistance. This includes eight Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and one armoured recovery vehicle, a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers, including a few donated by 1RCHA, and associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more. 

• More than 300 CAF members are now deployed under Op UNIFER in various roles such as the provision and coordination of training, national command support, and the facilitation and delivery of military donations to Ukraine in coordination with our Allies and partners.