More Canadian weapons, including heavy artillery, arrive in Ukraine

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OTTAWA – Prime Minister of Heavy Artillery Justin Trudeau promised that Ukraine earlier this week has reached the war-torn country, as it faces a new offensive by Russian troops.

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The government announced that an unspecified number of M777 howitzers and the ammunition they require have now been shipped to Ukraine. Long-range weapons are being withdrawn from Canadian Army stocks and will be replaced in the future. Trudeau declined to provide details of the shipment when asked this week, citing operational security.

The weapon can be towed behind a heavy vehicle and is accurate up to 30 kilometers away, according to the government. The Defense Department did not disclose the exact number of weapons shipped, but CBC News reported that there were four.

Canadian Forces first received a small number of weapons in 2006, during the war in Afghanistan, and ordered 25 of them in 2009, bringing the total complement to 37.

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After their assault on the country’s capital kyiv stalled, Russian forces have withdrawn into eastern Ukraine in recent weeks and launched a new offensive aimed at capturing other parts of the country.

Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s Central Military District, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying that full control over southern Ukraine would give him access to a breakaway and Russian-occupied part of Moldova in the west.

That would cut off the entire Ukrainian coastline and mean pushing hundreds of miles west beyond current lines, past the major Ukrainian cities of Mykolaiv and Odessa.

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Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said the additional weapons are part of Canada’s continued contribution.

“As Ukrainians fight to defend their sovereignty, freedom and independence, Canada remains committed to continuing to provide Ukraine with the military equipment it needs to fight and win this war.”

The government has so far spent $118 million to send arms to Ukraine and committed in the budget to spend an additional $500 million. The government also delivered humanitarian aid and provided significant loans to the Ukrainian government.

On Friday, they also promised more ammunition for the Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapon and said they were finalizing contracts to deliver armored vehicles to Ukrainian forces.

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The most recent US government arms shipment to Ukraine included 90 of the M777 artillery weapons, as well as drones and other weapons.

Alexandra Chyczij, president of the Canadian-Ukrainian Congress, said the guns were welcome.

“The horrors that Russia is inflicting, the deliberate and systemic crimes against humanity that Russia is committing in Mariupol, Bucha, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and many other places, show that Russia is committing genocide and trying to annihilate the Ukrainian people,” he said. . “We are grateful that Canada and its allies continue to provide the weapons and materiel the brave Ukrainian Armed Forces need to defeat Russia.”

– with additional information from Reuters

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