On Monday, Canada announced its plans to send over 800 drones to Ukraine, with deployment expected to begin as soon as this spring.
According to a statement from the Department of National Defense, drones have become a crucial capability for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. The drones are vital for surveillance and intelligence operations, and for transporting supplies such as munitions.
The price will exceed $70 million and is included in a previously disclosed $370 million military aid package for Ukraine.
Teledyne manufactures the SkyRanger R70 multi-mission Unmanned Aerial Systems in Waterloo, Ontario.
Per ABC News, the announcement is made just before the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Canada has generously provided Ukraine with 100 high-resolution drone cameras and has committed $1.8 billion in military aid over the last two years.
Defense Minister Bill Blair mentioned that Kyiv has emphasized the urgent need for additional drones, which are now an important tool for the Ukrainian forces.
He mentioned that the specific drones given to Ukraine, Teledyne's SkyRanger R70 multi-mission Unmanned Aerial Systems, provide a utility that greatly boosts their capabilities, especially with its capacity to detect and gather valuable information at certain altitudes to aid in defending their country.
Last week, Blair announced that Canada would be providing an extra $60 million to support Ukraine's allies in supplying F-16 fighter jets to their military and training Ukrainian pilots.
He recently came back from a series of meetings in Europe where Ukraine was a major focus, such as the U.S.-led Ukraine Defence Contract Group, NATO defense ministers, and the Munich Security Conference.
During Monday's press conference, Blair also mentioned that Canada is in the process of sending additional ammunition to Ukraine. He claimed that Canada had exhausted all available resources, including using the supplies of the Canadian Armed Forces.
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Ukraine Shoots Down 23 Russian Drones
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia sent out 23 drones towards Ukraine overnight, but all of them were taken down by air defenses. Due to combat operations, all 23 drones were shot down in various regions, according to the military on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine's prime minister on Tuesday called for the European Union and Japan to implement new economic sanctions on Russia following the passing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Following the death of Alexei Navalny in a remote penal colony in Russia, EU nations like Germany, Lithuania, and Sweden pushed for new sanctions, while US President Joe Biden cautioned Moscow about potential consequences. According to a report from a US media outlet on Monday, the United States is ready to provide long-range tactical missiles to Ukraine pending approval of a new funding package by Congress.
According to sources who chose to remain anonymous, the administration was prepared to send a version of the missiles - referred to as Atacms (army tactical missile systems) - if a new $60 billion aid package, which has been delayed by congressional Republicans, is passed by the Senate.
The report coincided with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, mentioning that Russia was taking advantage of aid delays to Ukraine. He spoke on Monday after touring the frontline in Kupiansk, an area reclaimed by Ukraine in 2022, but where Russian forces have been operating in recent months.
