Troops prepare to leave for Ukraine despite uncertainty
OTTAWA • Some 200 soldiers from Edmonton are preparing to deploy to Ukraine, though how long they will be staying is anyone’s guess.
Canada, Britain and the United States have had military trainers in Ukraine since the summer of 2015, after Russia annexed Crimea and began supporting separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donbass region.
The Canadians have taught about 2,600 Ukrainian troops the basics of soldiering, such as how to use their weapons and move as a unit, plus more advanced skills, such as bomb disposal and medical training.
Ukrainian and Canadian officials say those skills have been desperately needed given the amount of support Russia has provided to the rebels operating in the Donbass.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has claimed close to 10,000 lives since April 2014, and left tens of thousands without homes and struggling to survive.
But Canada’s training mission is set to expire at the end of March, and in spite of public appeals from the Ukrainian government, the Liberal government has not decided whether to extend it.
Despite the uncertainty, about 200 soldiers from Lord Strathcona’s Horse are set to leave for Ukraine at the beginning of March — even if it means they end up staying for only a month.
“We are prepared right now to send the next rotation of troops from Western Canada to the Ukraine to follow on with the tasks that the previous rotation has been doing,” said Brig.-Gen. Simon Hetherington, commander of the 3rd Canadian Division, under which the unit falls.
The Edmonton-based soldiers will relieve counterparts from 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Shilo, Man., who have been on the ground training Ukrainian forces near the city of Lviv since August.
Meanwhile, 1 PPCLI, which is also based out of Edmonton and falls under Hetherington’s command, will be providing the majority of troops for the start of Canada’s mission in Latvia, which is expected to become fully operational in the summer.
Canada has committed to send about 450 troops to lead a multinational NATO force in the Baltic state, which is intended to deter any potential Russian aggression in the region.
With 3rd Division also providing about 150 soldiers to Canada’s mission in Iraq, the question remains how the government plans to find another 600 troops to send on a major peacekeeping mission in Africa.
Hetherington acknowledged that with Ukraine, Latvia and Iraq on his plate, he is “rounds complete,” meaning he doesn’t have much more to spare.
But he was confident the military would be able to find enough troops from other places to be able to participate in a peacekeeping mission, if and when the government pulls the trigger.
“It will depend on the task,” he said.