Canada is exploring the possibility of transferring “air-to-ground” missiles, CRV7 class, to Ukraine. The Canadian government had initially planned to dispose of them, reports CBC.
The leader of the opposition Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, demanded sending CRV7 missiles to Ukraine during a parliamentary session on February 2. He emphasized that it is better to provide Ukraine with the ammunition rather than disposing of them.
“Instead of making Canadians pay millions of dollars to decommission these weapons,” he said, the weapons should be given “to Ukraine who can use them in the defence of sovereignty,” he noted.
A spokesperson for the Minister of Defense confirmed that the Canadian government is considering the possibility of providing missiles. However, the department believes that before sending the missiles to Ukraine, it is necessary to assess the needs of the Ukrainian army and the effectiveness of the missiles.
In Canada, it is emphasized that the issue with supplying these missiles lies in the fact that the country has tens of thousands of such missiles and engines for them, but not all of them have warheads.
About CRV7 missiles
In Canada, these missiles are referred to as “Cold War-era armament.” They were manufactured in the 1980s and phased out of production in the early 2000s.
CRV7 is a Canadian-developed unguided aviation rocket with a caliber of 70 mm with a complex operation. It is designed for striking ground targets.
The Canadian Ministry of Defense has 83,303 such missiles.
Canada’s assistance
Canada has been providing military and financial aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. On January 23, the Minister of Defense of Canada announced a new aid package for Ukraine, including 10 multi-role boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies.
In Canada, they also announced the start of training for Ukrainians on F-16 fighters.
Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Joly, arrived in Kyiv for a working visit. She met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In Kyiv, Joly made several important statements, including discussions between Ukraine and Canada on security guarantees for our country, with the agreement in the final stages. She also mentioned the formation of a coalition to repatriate Ukrainian children.
Source: RBC Ukraine
