Canada’s Defense Minister Anita Anand announced Saturday the dispatch of the first Leopard 2 tank to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion.
An aircraft belonging to the Royal Canadian Air Force took off Saturday night from the city of Halifax, in the province of Nova Scotia, with the first Leopard 2 tank that the Government of Canada has destined for Ukraine.
«Canada stands with the people of Ukraine and we will continue to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the equipment they need to win,» the defense official said in a message on Twitter, claiming that the country’s support for Ukraine is «unwavering».
This shipment would be the first of four other Leopard 2 tanks that the Canadian government expects to send to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
«These heavily armoured and heavily protected vehicles provide soldiers with a tactical advantage on the battlefield thanks to their excellent mobility, firepower and survivability,» Anand said Thursday in remarks picked up by CBC.
Asked about the number of the tanks and whether the government planned to make further shipments, the defense minister added that Canada would only donate vehicles that it could guarantee with spare parts and training and that they would be deployed in coordination with the other allies.
«We have to make sure that our military has the right number of tanks to train and to meet our NATO commitments,» the minister assured. «So there is the possibility of new donations,» she added according to statements by the quoted media outlet.
THE SITUATION IN EASTERN UKRAINE IS IMPROVING Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, welcomed on Saturday the beginning of the training of Ukrainian soldiers in the handling of the Challenger tanks sent by the British government.
«I have thanked the Prime Minister and all the British people for helping our country. Now, in the UK, our guys have already started training with Challenger tanks. It is a good vehicle. And it will be very important on the battlefield,» the Ukrainian leader said during his daily address on Saturday night.
In addition, Zelensky drew attention to the current situation in eastern Ukraine, which he classified as «difficult» and denounced further attacks by Moscow.
«Now it is very hard in Bajmut, in Vuhledar and towards Lyman,» Zelenski has stated. But he is confident that the «firmness» of the Ukrainians will eventually prevail.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
