Canada extends, expands military training mission in Ukraine

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Canada is extending its mission to train Ukrainian soldiers by three years and plans to enlarge the operation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday.

Trudeau said he has authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 more personnel to join 200 troops already on the ground, with further capacity to increase that number up to 400. It's part of a $340 million Canadian (US$268 million ) commitment.

He said it also includes a provision of non-lethal equipment, intelligence sharing and support to combat cyberattacks.

The Canadian mission is intended to support Ukrainian forces so the country can defend its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, the prime minister said.

Trudeau said Defense Minister Anita Anand will travel to Latvia and Ukraine to visit with Canadian soldiers in the coming days. Anand said Canada has trained over 30,000 soldiers in Ukraine.