On Monday, the Canadian government announced the doubling of military aid to Ukraine, which has already exceeded the threshold of one billion Canadian dollars (729 million euros).

“This additional military aid will support Ukrainians as they continue their courageous fight against President (Vladimir Putin’s Russia’s) illegal invasion, and these new sanctions will put additional pressure on those who support this military action,” the prime minister said. Minister – Canadian Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement, reports AFP and Agerpres.

Ottawa also introduced new sanctions against 23 Russian officials. Among them are “policemen and investigators, prosecutors, judges and employees of the penitentiary administration, involved in gross and systematic violations of human rights against the leaders of the Russian opposition.”

This list includes Russian officials accused of violating the rights of two dissidents in custody today: anti-Putin opposition leader Alexei Navalny and 2022 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize laureate Volodymyr Kara-Murza.

This new funding is intended to “help the Ukrainian armed forces defend their country against Russia’s brutal and unjustified invasion,” the statement, signed by the Prime Minister of Canada, also says.

The Canadian Congress of Ukrainians (UCC), a community group representing the diaspora, welcomed the announcement, saying it was “grateful for (Canada’s) continued commitment to the freedom of Ukraine.”

The funds will be used to finance military equipment, surveillance and communication equipment, as well as fuel and medical supplies.

Less than two months after the start of the war, the Canadian government provided Ukraine with its first military aid of 500 million Canadian dollars.

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