The Canadian government announced it will donate more than 800 SkyRanger R70 multi-missioned Unmanned Aerial Systems to Ukraine. “As we approach the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion, Canada stands firmly with Ukraine in defence of freedom and democracy,” said Defence Minister Bill Blair in a Monday press release. “In coordination with our allies and partners, we will continue to provide Ukraine with the military aid that it needs to fight and win this war.” With this announcement, Blair said it is about ensuring Ukraine “has the drones it needs to detect and identify targets which are critical to Ukraine’s ongoing fight.” He pledged the Canadian government will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. The Canadian government acknowledged these drones — valued at more than $95 million — will help Ukraine as it fights to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. When it comes to these drones, it said they were sourced from Teledyne FLIR in Waterloo, ON, and have automated and autonomous navigation systems, enabling them to carry various camera systems and payloads to detect and identify targets. These capabilities will help Ukrainian operators to recognize people, vehicles, and any heat source from a long distance, especially in dark conditions and poor weather. These drones were needed for surveillance and intelligence gathering and can be used to transport and deliver supplies. The Canadian government was working with the Ukrainian government on a training plan and delivery schedule, with it expected to begin this spring. As the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, the Canadian government said the drones will address some of its most urgent defensive needs. With these drones, it said Ukrainian troops will be able to gather more situational awareness and information, so they can assess targets with greater speed and accuracy. This donation was funded by the $500 million in military assistance for Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to Kyiv in June. It will complement the more than 100 high-resolution drone cameras sourced from L3 Wescam Canada had donated to Ukraine. Since 2022, Canada has committed more than $2.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. This includes Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers and associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more.Liberal MP Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, ON) said as the MP for the area, she was pleased to see Teledyne developing, engineering, and manufacturing technologies to provide much needed aid to Ukraine. “Canadians, in a strong majority, refuse the premise of [Vladimir] Putin's illegal war on Ukraine and agree that Canada must do all that we can to stand with Ukrainians,” said Chagger. “This is yet another example of how Canada is supporting vital efforts.”Canadians are losing interest in funnelling money into the Russia-Ukraine War, according to a February 6 poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI). READ MORE: POLL: Canadians losing interest in funnelling funds to UkraineThe ARI found Canadians have a fading interest and willingness to pay attention to the Russia-Ukraine War. The number of Canadians saying too much support has been sent has doubled since it began.
