First ten armoured vehicles promised to Ukraine to be delivered by summer, Blair says

Defence Minister Bill Blair says the first ten of 50 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) promised to Ukraine last year will be delivered to the war-torn country by this summer, but likely won't be fully in service until the fall.

The newly manufactured vehicles, from General Dynamics Land Systems in London. Ont., were part of $650 million in military support pledged during the visit to Ottawa by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last fall.

In a media release that followed Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — 56 countries committed to keeping Ukraine armed in its war with Russia — Blair said the ACSVs will be delivered to Europe this summer and Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in their use before they are delivered to the front this fall.

Additionally, he said, 10 Multirole Boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies — promised in January — are set to be delivered in July, and they include training for Ukrainian operators as well as spare parts.

The remarks from the defence minister come a week after a leading Ukrainian politician met with Blair and a number of Canadian lawmakers and pleaded for more armoured vehicles.

Oleksandra Ustinova, the head of Ukraine's special parliamentary commission on arms and munitions, told the minister, members of key House of Commons committees and military leaders that both time and weapons stocks are running out for her country.

She said Ukraine is interested even in armoured vehicles the Canadian military is planning to retire, regardless of their condition.

«Ukrainians are ready to take even junk, tear it apart and make one out of three machines. This is something that can protect our soldiers,» Ustinova told CBC News last week.

Last year, figures put before the