CinC Syrskyi discusses expansion of Ukraine’s air defense capabilities with Canada’s counterpart

CinC Syrskyi reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

The AFU Commander-in-Chief informed his Canadian counterpart about the operational situation on the front lines, provided an overview of the current security situation in Ukraine, and outlined the needs of the Armed Forces in terms of weapons and military equipment.

“We thoroughly discussed enhancing the capabilities of our air and missile defense in light of the enemy’s missile and airstrikes on critical infrastructure, key defense-industrial complex facilities, and the residential sector of Ukraine, with the aim of gaining an advantage over the enemy and expanding the capabilities of air defense,” noted Syrskyi.

Syrskyi expressed gratitude for Canada’s significant support, particularly in coalitions for advancing unmanned systems, air forces, armored vehicles, and IT infrastructure.

The Commander-in-Chief specifically highlighted the effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces’ military training mission UNIFIER, which, over ten years of operation, has trained nearly 43,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.

He expressed his sincere gratitude to General Jennie Carignan, the Government of Canada, and the Canadian people for their strong and consistent support of Ukraine in its fight for independence, as well as for the unique military assistance provided to Ukraine’s Defense Forces, including the professional training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots in Canada and the provision of language training for flight and technical personnel.

As reported by Ukrinform, Canada launched Operation UNIFIER in 2015 following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Initially, training was conducted at the Yavoriv military base in Lviv, but later expanded to other locations across Ukraine. After the full-scale invasion in 2022, training was temporarily paused in Ukraine but resumed in allied countries, including the UK, Poland, and Latvia.