Canada Authorises Ukraine to Use Its Weaponry on Russian Territory

Ukraine can freely use tanks and armoured vehicles provided by Canada on the territory of Russia. This was announced by the Ministry of National Defence of Canada yesterday. 

This statement comes amid Ukraine's sudden cross-border invasion of Russia and the impact of this invasion on the long-running Russian war launched by Moscow in February 2022.

Canada has provided Ukraine with eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armoured combat support vehicles and hundreds of armoured patrol vehicles, as well as several M-777 howitzers.

A video shot by CNN along the Ukrainian border on Thursday showed a Canadian-made Senator patrol vehicle crossing into Russia.

‘Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we are committed to supporting their capabilities,’ said Defence spokesperson André-Anne Poulin in a statement to the media.

‘Canada does not place geographic restrictions on the use of the military equipment we donate to Ukraine.’

It is unclear how much of the Canadian equipment was in the hands of specially equipped Ukrainian brigades when they stormed across the Russian border on 6 August.

Poulin said Canada's donations always meet the requirements of the Arms Trade Treaty, an international agreement aimed at reducing illegal arms transfers and human rights abuses.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that his troops now control dozens of villages and 1,150 square kilometres in Russia's Kursk region. He also said that Kyiv had established a military command in the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that Ukrainian troops had taken control of the Russian town of Sudzha, which is located near a Russian gas terminal, a key distribution point that supplies energy to Europe.