As of: February 20, 2024, 8:00 p.m
By: Nadja Zinsmeister
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Press
Split
Ukraine is to receive military aid from Canada in the war against Russia.
More than 800 state-of-the-art drones could provide new advantages.
Toronto - The Canadian government has announced a new arms shipment to Ukraine.
As Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Monday (February 19), Ukraine will receive more than 800 SkyRanger R70 multi-purpose unmanned drones in the fight against Russia.
“Today’s announcement ensures that Ukraine has the drones it needs to detect and identify targets critical to Ukraine’s ongoing fight,” Blair said during his announcement in Toronto.
Delivery is expected to begin in the spring.
Drones in particular continue to play a significant role in defense against Russia's attacks in the Ukraine war.
Most recently, a successful drone attack by Ukraine triggered an earthquake on Russian television.
Canada announces drone delivery: what advantage this gives Ukraine in the war
According to the government, the drones have automatic and autonomous navigation systems and can carry various camera systems and payloads.
This is intended to give the Ukrainian military the opportunity to detect enemy people, vehicles and heat sources from a great distance.
Canadian manufacturer Teledyne FLIR claims that the built-in on-board computer can automatically detect targets up to five kilometers away and identify up to ten moving objects at the same time.
Bill Blair, Defense Minister of Canada, speaks in Toronto about the delivery of additional SkyRanger R70 drones to Ukraine.
© Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP/dpa
The missiles would be particularly advantageous in darkness and bad weather.
“This multirotor drone is one of the best of its kind in the world and can carry a variety of payloads up to 3.5 kilograms, including ammunition,” an official government statement said.
At the same time, Ukraine could use the drones to transport supplies or collect pure information about the environment in the Ukraine war.
800 new drones for Ukraine: Canada is not the only country to announce deliveries
Canada's new military shipment is said to be worth more than $95 million.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a total of $500 million in military aid during his visit to Kiev in June 2023.
The approximately 800 drones cover part of this.
A few days before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Canada announced a new aid package for Ukraine.
As Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson announced on Tuesday (February 20), the country is to receive military aid worth around 630 million euros (the equivalent) - the largest aid package of its kind to date. Among other things, combat boats of the Stridsbåt 90 type are to be delivered (CB90), group boats and underwater weapons such as mines, artillery ammunition and anti-aircraft material.
(nz with dpa material)