Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand concluded today a productive visit to Ukraine, a news release said.
Anand started her day by visiting an exhibit of destroyed Russian equipment in St. Michael’s Square in Kyiv and witnessed first-hand evidence of Ukraine’s Armed Forces’ success in having pushed back Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion.
Anita Anand alongside Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defence laid flowers at the Wall of the Remembrance for the Fallen.
Anand also visited Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv that Russia occupied at the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine and saw civilian homes and infrastructure destroyed by Russia’s war, including dozens of destroyed cars that once belonged to ordinary families. Reiterating Canada’s strong condemnation of Russia’s barbaric and indiscriminate killings, she said that Canada will continue to support Ukraine in its fight to defend itself, and Canada’s support to Ukraine will remain unwavering.
In the afternoon, Minister Anand had a lengthy and productive meeting with Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov where they discussed the state of the conflict, and how Canada can continue to be most helpful.
Reznikov and Anand jointly announced that Canada will donate 200 Roshel Senator Armoured Personnel Carriers, valued at over $90 million dollars as part of the over $1 billion in military assistance that Canada has committed since February 2022, and over $5 billion that Canada has committed in the combined military, financial, humanitarian, and other aid.
Included in Canada’s military assistance are 39 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles, a combination of eight commercial pattern armoured vehicles and Senator APCs, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 Howitzers and associated ammunition, and more in Ukraine’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
Anand also met with members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces trained by Canada under Operation UNIFIER and visited a hospital where she met with wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
#Canada; #AnitaAnand; #visittoUkraine
