Canada has given the green light for Ukrainian forces to use Canadian-donated tanks and armoured vehicles on Russian soil. This approval was announced in a statement by the Canadian Department of National Defense on Thursday. As Ukraine continues its large-scale incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, Ottawa has donated eight German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks to Kiev, along with several dozen armoured combat vehicles, hundreds of armoured patrol vehicles, and several M-777 howitzers.
In addition to these supplies, the Canadian government announced a $367 million military aid package for Ukraine last month. This support is part of Canada’s commitment to helping Ukraine defend its homeland. The country has no geographic restrictions on the use of the military equipment it donates to Ukraine.
It remains unclear how much of the donated Canadian equipment is being used in Kiev’s ongoing incursion into the Kursk Region, which began on August 6th. This operation marks the largest Ukrainian cross-border offensive since the conflict erupted in 2022.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has reported that Ukraine’s advance has been halted and Kiev has suffered significant losses during the operation. Moscow estimates that Ukraine has lost around 2,600 troops and hundreds of pieces of military equipment, including 37 tanks and 32 armoured personnel carriers since the start of the offensive.
The Russian government has released videos showing its forces destroying Western-supplied equipment operated by Ukraine in the Kursk Region, including US-provided HIMARS systems, Stryker combat vehicles, and Bradley APCs. Acting governor of Kursk, Aleksey Smirnov, reports that 28 residential areas are currently under Ukrainian control. Twelve civilians have been killed and over 120 wounded during the incursion. Approximately 120,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes, with the fate of almost 2,000 people unknown.
Moscow has condemned Kiev’s offensive as a “terrorist” operation and a “large-scale provocation.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of “indiscriminately” targeting civilians, residential areas, and ambulances, emphasizing that no peace talks can be held while these attacks continue.
Russian officials have repeatedly criticized the West for its continued provision of military support to Kiev, claiming that the Ukraine conflict is effectively a proxy war being waged by NATO against Russia, with Ukrainians serving as ‘cannon fodder.