The Canadian government announced on Thursday that it will equip the Ukrainian Armed Forces with four combat tanks taken from the inventory of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Anita Anand, the Minister of National Defense, made the news on Thursday and said, “Today’s declaration is indicative of our lasting commitment. In response to the urgent demands made by the Ukraine, we will provide Leopard 2 tanks, as well as the maintenance and training necessary to operate them, in collaboration with our allies and partners.”
She also stated that this move followed up on the vow she made to Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, that Canada would “continue to offer” the beleaguered nation “the military assistance that it needs to fight and win.” Anand’s trip to Ukraine last week included a meeting with Reznikov to discuss bilateral issues.
In addition to providing the Ukrainian military with four Leopard 2 main combat tanks, ammo, and replacement parts, Canada will also send experts from the Canadian Armed Forces to educate Ukrainian troops on how to operate the tanks.
According to a press release from the Department of National Defense, the Leopard 2 is the primary fighting vehicle for the Canadian Armed Forces. According to the report, “These fully armored and well-shielded vehicles provide personnel with a tactical advantage on the battlefield thanks to their outstanding mobility, firepower, and survivability.” This was one of the points brought up in the report.
The current Russian assault on Ukraine has prompted the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to make an urgent appeal for tank support from Russia. This week, the United States of America announced that it will provide 31 battle tanks of the M1 Abrams model, while Germany announced that it will supply 14 tanks of the Leopard 2 model.
As stated in the press release, since the beginning of 2022, Canada has contributed more than $5 billion CA in direct financial, military, humanitarian, and other forms of aid to Ukraine. This includes donations totaling more than $1 billion CA in direct military assistance.
At the beginning of this month, Anand made the announcement that Canada will provide Ukraine with 200 senator armored personnel carriers, also known as APCs. In addition, it has provided a national advanced surface-to-air missile system (also known as NASAMS) along with the associated munitions, 39 armored combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers along with the associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, and other items.