The ministry said in a statement that this temporary transfer of “elements” of its division tasked with training the Ukrainian army “does not mean the end of the mission” of the Canadian military, but allows Canada to “refocus its efforts while ensuring the safety of Canadian Armed Forces personnel.”
Ottawa did not give details on the number of soldiers involved or where they would be transferred.
About 200 Canadian soldiers have been deployed to Ukraine since 2015 as part of the “Univers” mission, which aims to contribute to the training of Ukrainian forces.
“The Canadian Armed Forces remain committed to the people of Ukraine and their mission to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian security forces,” the Defense Department emphasized.
At the end of the week, the United States announced the withdrawal of 160 soldiers from Ukraine who were training Ukrainian forces.
Meanwhile, Canada announced on Saturday the temporary closure of its embassy in Kiev and the transfer of its operations to an office in Lviv, in the west of the country, “due to the deterioration of the situation as a result of the deployment of Russian forces on the border.”