Canada extends, expands UNIFIER military training mission in Ukraine

Canada will extend and significantly expand UNIFIER, its military training mission in Ukraine, for another three years.

"Today, I’ve made a decision to extend Operation UNIFIER for another three years, expand this training operation, and provide immediate assistance to Ukraine," Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announced during a press conference in Ottawa on January 26, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He said it would cost Canada CAD 340 million (about USD 280 million).

"I authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 personnel within days to join the approximate 200 women and men already on the ground with further capacity to increase the number of people on the ground up to 400," the Prime Minister stressed.

He added that Canada would also "provide non-lethal equipment to Ukraine, share intelligence data, and help counter cyberattacks."

"Our commitment to Operation UNIFIER ensures that the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to support Ukraine's security forces so that Ukraine can defend its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity," Trudeau said.

About 200 Canadian servicemembers are currently deployed in central and western Ukraine, headquartered at Yavoriv, Lviv region, as part of Operation UNIFIER. Since the mission began in 2015, more than 33,000 Ukrainian servicemembers have been trained.

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