MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Canada has sent explosive ordnance disposal equipment to Ukraine, as part of Ottawa’s program to support Kiev, the country’s government announced.
"The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that explosive ordnance disposal equipment has been transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in western Ukraine. This non-lethal equipment will enable the Ukrainian Armed Forces to safely dispose of unexploded ammunition, such as artillery shells, thereby contributing to the safety and security of Ukrainians living in the affected regions," the country’s government said in a statement Saturday.
According to the Ukraine's defense ministry’s statement earlier this week, the equipment cost some $2.5 million.
Since last January, Canada has announced over 70 million Canadian dollars ($523 milion) to assist Kiev amid the Ukrainian crisis, according to the statement.
The Ukrainian government has been conducting a military operation in the country's eastern regions since April 2014. Over 8,000 have died in the conflict, including some 2,500 civilian casualties, according to the UN. The peace process has been codified in the Minsk II package, signed in February.
