The head of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, hopes that Canada will be able to hand over tens of thousands of missiles to Ukraine for destruction at one of the country’s military bases, Global News and Kyiv Independent report.

More than 83,000 CRV7 surface-to-air missiles are stored at the Canadian Forces’ ammunition depot in Dundurn, south of Saskatoon. Canada no longer has them in service and has chosen a private firm to destroy the missiles.

Budanov told Global News that donating the missiles would help Ukraine fight Russian forces and spare Canadian taxpayers the cost of destroying them.

According to the head of intelligence, CRV7 missiles will be used on Ukrainian attack helicopters and ground launchers to defeat Russian tanks and artillery.

Ukraine is negotiating with Canada on this issue, but is still waiting for a decision.

There may be a problem

According to a February 2 CBC report, the opposition Conservative Party of Canada called on the government to send decommissioned missiles to Ukraine instead of destroying them.

Canada’s Department of National Defense has confirmed that the donation is being considered. Canadian officials said they were reviewing the request but raised concerns about the age of the CRV7 missiles, suggesting they could have become unstable over decades, posing risks during handling and transport.

Experts who spoke to Global News said rocket boosters have a limited lifespan and can become unstable after many years.

However, since CRV7 rockets use solid propellants, they can still be considered safe as long as they are stored properly and not exposed to moisture or contamination.