Canada will provide 10 replacement barrels for M777 howitzer artillery guns to Ukraine in new military aid valued at C$9 million ($6.9 million), the Canadian defense minister said on Wednesday.
“We will continue to work around the clock to provide Ukraine with the comprehensive military aid that it needs to defend its sovereignty and security,” Defense Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.
Canada donated the M777 howitzers to Ukraine earlier and the replacement barrels are needed to maintain their distance range and accuracy.
The U.S. on Wednesday, also announced a US$1 billion package of military assistance for Ukraine aimed at bolstering the country’s ability to push back Russian advances in the eastern Donbas region.
Several European nations added their own contributions, as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrapped up a meeting of more then 45 nations in Brussels to discuss Ukraine’s security needs.
The aid reflects Ukraine’s needs for longer-range rocket and missile systems that will allow it to target Russian troops and locations from farther away, thus making strikes less likely for Ukrainian forces.
The US$1 billion package is the largest single tranche of aid provided by the U.S. since the war began on Feb. 24. It includes $350 million in rapid, off-the-shelf deliveries by the Pentagon and $650 million in other longer-term purchases. All combined, the U.S. has now committed about $6.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $5.6 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
— With files from The Associated Press