Canada Announces Military Donations to Ukraine, Including Boats and Training Support

The Canadian Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, has revealed new military donations for Ukraine. The contribution includes 10 Multirole Boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies, valued at approximately 20 million Canadian dollars ($14.86 million). These Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats equipped with advanced sensor, navigation, and communication systems will aid Ukraine in various maritime operations, with delivery and training expected to be completed by late spring 2024.

In addition to the boat donation, Minister Blair announced Canada’s support for the F-16 Training Coalition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Starting next month, Canada will provide civilian instructors, planes, and support staff through a contract with Montreal-based Top Aces Inc., valued at approximately 15 million Canadian dollars ($11.14 million). The training initiative is set to commence in February 2024 and extend into 2025.

Since February 2022, Canada has committed over 2.4 billion Canadian dollars ($1.78 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine. This comprehensive aid includes Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armored recovery vehicles, combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more.