Canada to help train Ukraine troops into battle-ready condition

TRENTON, Canada

Canada said Thursday it will send up to 225 military personnel to the UK to join in training as many as 10,000 new Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainians will undergo about five weeks of military instruction from Canadian and UK personnel designed to hone them into battle-ready troops, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced at a news conference.

The UK made the promise of more troop training to the war-besieged county in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr​​​​​​​ Zelenskyy had also pressed Canada for the training after similar instruction, called Operation Unifier, in Ukraine was halted six months ago as Russian soldiers surged into neighboring Ukraine.

The training will include the operation of four M777 howitzers Canada sent to Ukraine earlier this year. There will also be cyber instruction by the Canadian Communications Security Establishment.

Anand said the training of "new Ukrainian military troops" is imperative as the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters a "new and dangerous phase."

She also reaffirmed that Canada will send Ukraine 39 specially outfitted Canadian-made armored vehicles as they roll off the assembly line.

The Canadian troops will leave Canada on Aug. 25 to begin training at a military base in southeast England, said Anand.

The announcement signals the resumption of Operation Unifier. And it comes after 150 soldiers returned this week from Poland where they helped with a flood of Ukrainian refugees.