Canada will help purchase shells for Ukraine and provide night vision devices

20 March, 2024 155mm projectiles of the Ukrainian military. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Canada will join the Czech Republic's initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries.

Bill Blair, Canadian Minister of National Defence, announced this at the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format. For this purpose, the Canadian government will allocate 40 million Canadian dollars (about £30 million). According to the Minister, this contribution will help deliver "several thousand large-caliber artillery shells."

In addition, Blair stated that Ottawa will provide Kyiv with night vision devices manufactured by Twenty20 Insight Ins. worth 7.5 million Canadian dollars (£5.5 million).

Flags of Ukraine and Canada. Photo credits: ZN.ua.

The Canadian Minister of National Defence also confirmed that Canada has officially joined the UDCG's Drone Capability Coalition, co-led by Latvia and the United Kingdom. Among other things, this Coalition brings together UDCG members working to find ways to scale up drone production with the collective goal of delivering one million drones to Ukraine.

Canada's initial contribution includes over 800 Teledyne's SkyRanger R70 multipurpose unmanned aircraft systems worth £95 million. The first delivery is expected to arrive in Ukraine this spring.

SkyRanger R70 reconnaissance drone with EO IR Mk II optical sensor. Photo credits: Teledyne FLIR

The transfer of drones is funded by £500 million in military aid to Ukraine, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during his visit to Kyiv in June 2023.

Thus, Canada became the ninth member country of the Drone Coalition, which aims to provide the Ukrainian Defense Forces with a large number of drones.

"The donations announced today demonstrate Canada's ongoing commitment to providing Ukrainians with the critical and longer-term military aid that they need to defend their country," the Canadian Department of National Defence emphasized.

Ottawa has already donated approximately 40,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition to Ukraine, sourced from both the Canadian Armed Forces stocks and from purchases through the United States government.