Canada to Send 200 More Armoured Vehicles to Ukraine: Defence Minister

Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, holds a media availability on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 13, 2022. Defence Minister Anita Anand says the federal government will provide 200 armoured vehicles to the Ukrainian military. Anand announced the contribution during a visit to Kyiv today, where the minister also met her Ukrainian counterpart. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Defence Minister Anita Anand today announced Canada would send another 200 armoured vehicles to Ukraine in support of the country’s defence against the Russian invasion.

Anand announced this latest round of military aid to Ukraine, worth $90 million, during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Jan. 18. It comes on the heels of the donation of the American-made surface-to-air missile system Anand announced on Jan. 10 at a cost of around $406 million.

The Senator model of armoured vehicles is purchased from Roshel, a company based in Mississauga, Ontario. Canada previously sent eight of the same Roshel-made Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine last spring.

“The Senator APCs are security−task vehicles, and I have heard repeatedly that Ukrainian troops appreciate their manoeuvrability and their adaptability,” Anand told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, accompanied by her Ukrainian counterpart, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

“The vehicles also allow for the safe transportation of personnel and equipment and medical evacuations.”

$5 Billion in Aid

This aid is part of the additional $500 million in military aid for Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2022, according to a Jan. 18 press release. The federal government has contributed an estimated $5 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian assistance since Russian forces crossed into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Reznikov commended Canada for the over $1 billion in military assistance committed to Ukraine since February 2022, which includes the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, M777 Howitzers and associated ammunition, according to the release.

The Ukrainian defence minister said the NASAMS air defence systems were a top priority for his country to defend against Russia’s continued missile strikes.

In addition, Canada and its allies have been debating over whether to send tanks to Ukraine. Germany, in particular, faces pressure to not only send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine but also allow other countries that operate the same tanks to do the same.

Anand was also asked whether Canada, which has 112 Leopard 2s in several configurations in use by the CAF, would provide them in support of Ukraine. During her meeting with Reznikov, Anand did not confirm whether Canada would contribute some of its Leopard 2 tanks if Germany allowed for their re-export.

“This is certainly top of mind at the current time,” she later told reporters when pressed for an answer, noting that the issue will be raised in an upcoming defence contact group meeting she is scheduled to attend in Germany on Jan. 20.

Support for CAF

During the Jan. 18 press conference, Anand was also asked about her government’s investment in Canadian military forces.

“We shall continue to invest in our Canadian Armed Forces while providing this necessary support for Ukraine for them to be able to win this important war,” Anand said.

Anand was responding to a question from reporters on whether Ottawa’s investment in the Canadian forces will match the spending it provides in military aid to a foreign ally. In response, the minister pointed to Canada’s 2017 defence policy, entitled “Strong, Secure, Engaged,” which she said will ensure an increase in defence spending by 70 percent between 2017 and 2026.

Anand also pointed to Ottawa’s recent decision to purchase a new fleet of 88 F-35 fighter jets over the next nine years.

She also noted that the military aid for Ukraine will continue.

“There is a price to helping Ukraine which includes the weapons and the vehicles. The cost of doing nothing is far greater. What happens here in Ukraine will determine the kind of world in which our children grow up,” Anand said.

“This is a war for democracy in Ukraine, but also for our own freedom,” she added.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.