Canada has agreed to provide Ukraine with a C$350 million (US$254 million) package to acquire air defence interceptors as Kyiv faces a critical shortage of missiles capable of countering Russia’s ballistic attacks.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the agreement on Thursday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The package is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend its population and critical infrastructure as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign.
“As Russia escalates its barbaric aerial warfare indiscriminately targeting civilian populations, Ukraine’s air defences are critical,” Carney told reporters in Calgary.
“Earlier today Canada and Ukraine finalised an agreement to deliver critical air defence interceptors … this C$350 million equipment package will help protect Ukraine’s people, infrastructure, and skies,” he said.
Carney did not specify which interceptors Canada would purchase or when deliveries would begin.
The weapons will be supplied through a US programme that enables third-party countries to rapidly purchase and transfer American-made weapons, including Patriot missile systems, to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been running critically low on Patriot interceptors, which are among the few systems capable of defending against Russia’s ballistic missiles. Moscow has stepped up its air attacks in recent months, increasing pressure on Ukraine’s already strained air defence network.
Canada has been among Ukraine’s strongest international supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ottawa says it has committed more than C$25.5 billion in overall assistance to Ukraine, including C$8.5 billion in military aid.
Carney also announced plans to significantly expand Canada’s drone manufacturing capacity, with the country aiming to produce millions of drones within the next two years. About one-third of that production would be destined for Ukraine, he said.
The announcement comes as Canada continues to deepen its military and industrial support for Kyiv, with air defence remaining one of Ukraine’s most urgent battlefield requirements.
Canada is home to an estimated 1.3 million to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world.
