Canada Sends 40 Troops To Poland To Train Ukrainian Troops From Reconnaissance To Mine Disposal

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand. (Wikimedia Commons/US Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - Canada announced Tuesday it will send 40 combat technicians, to support Poland's efforts to train Ukrainian troops, as part of its commitment to increase military assistance to Kyiv.

The Canadian Armed Forces have trained more than 33,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel since 2015. However, since last February the training has stalled.

"Today, I am announcing that in the coming weeks, Canada will deploy approximately 40 combat engineers to Poland to help Polish Forces train Ukrainian combat technicians in reconnaissance, explosives, mines, and mine disposal", Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand explained at a news conference in Warsaw, reported by Reuters on October 12.

Previously, Canadian troops have also assisted the Polish military and Government, in supporting refugee reception centers and helping support UK-based training programs.

Minister Anand said the additional training "would complement Canadian training for new Ukrainian recruits in the UK, and Canadian training for Ukrainian personnel on the use of the M777 howitzer we contributed to Ukraine."

Russia rained cruise missiles on Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States called a "horrific attack", killing civilians and crippling power supplies, in the most widespread airstrike since the start of the war in February.

"Canada wholeheartedly condemns this brutal attack on civilian targets and infrastructure", Minister Anand told reporters.

"The attack constitutes a war crime", she said.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation not designed to occupy territory, but to destroy the military capabilities of its southern neighbor and capture what it considers dangerous nationalists. Moscow also denies deliberately attacking civilians.