The front in eastern Ukraine has been relatively stable in recent months, but last weekend Ukraine announced that it had pulled back its troops from the town of Avdiivka.
Canada’s Defense Minister Bill Blair declared that he would send over 800 SkyRanger R70 unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
He said that these drones, worth more than 95 million Canadian dollars (over 70 million dollars), would support Ukraine’s brave defense against Russia’s unlawful and unwarranted invasion.
Blair added that these drones had automated and autonomous navigation systems that could carry various cameras and payloads. He said that this multirotor drone was one of the best in the world and that Ottawa was working with Kyiv on the delivery schedule, which was expected to start in the spring.
He also said that Canada was firmly behind Ukraine in defending freedom and democracy as the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion approached. He said that Canada would keep providing Ukraine with the military assistance it required to fight and win this war, in coordination with its allies and partners. He said that today’s announcement ensured that Ukraine had the drones it needed to detect and identify critical targets in its ongoing fight.
The front in eastern Ukraine has been relatively stable in recent months, but last weekend Ukraine announced that it had pulled back its troops from the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region after intense fighting. After this move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation was very difficult in several parts of the front, where Russian troops had amassed their reserves.
He said that the delays in military aid to Ukraine were being exploited by Russia and that it was very evident, remarking that there were shortages in artillery, anti-aircraft defenses, and long-range weapons, after visiting the troops fighting in Kupiansk. Zelensky also referred to the aid that Washington was sending, which was blocked in the US Congress due to the opposition of the hardline Republicans.
Sweden sends a new aid package to Ukraine
On Tuesday, the Swedish Government announced a new military aid package to Ukraine worth 7.1 billion crowns ($682 million), the largest financial amount given to Kyiv in the two years of war with Russia.
The package included model 90 battle tanks, boats, artillery ammunition, air defense systems, grenade launchers, medical supplies, and money for buying more supplies and for military training programs.
This was the fifteenth package that Sweden had sent to Ukraine, whose total aid to Kyiv amounted to about 29.3 billion Swedish crowns ($2.815 million).
