Taylor: Our Missions Lack Clear and Achievable Objectives

By: Scott Taylor, Editor and Chief of Esprit-de-Corps Magazine 

The Canadian Armed Forces are currently committed and deployed on five oversees missions, none of which have a clear cut or achievable objective.

Of course, the old Cold War warhorses will claim that our battle group stationed in Latvia has been successfully deterring Russian aggression into the Baltic States. One could similarly argue that a tinfoil cap is proper protection against alien brain removal, proven by the fact that you still have your brain.

I would think that Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania’s membership in NATO, with that alliance’s pledge of collective defence, coupled with the nuclear arsenals of the U.S., U.K. and France would serve as ample deterrent to even the most ambitious of Russian dictators.

Canadian officers who have served in Latvia know that it was nothing like our decade-long experience in Afghanistan. There will be no letters to the next-of-kin to inform them of a soldier’s death in combat. If the Russians don’t attack, nobody gets killed, and if Russia does trigger nuclear conflagration with NATO in the Baltic, there will be no one left alive to write the letters.

Keeping a battalion of Canadian soldiers in Latvia is an unnecessary waste of $400 million per year, and an added strain on the family lives of those personnel deployed abroad, unaccompanied, for either six months or one year.

We also have about 200 Canadian soldiers deployed in Ukraine as trainers. This is a bit of a sticky wicket (as the cricketers say) in that Ukraine is not a NATO member. Since 2014 Ukraine has been embroiled in a simmering civil war between the Western-backed regime in Kiev and the largely ethnic Russian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been soundly demonized for supplying military personnel, weapons and equipment to the ethnic Russian separatists. If Putin is evil for interfering militarily in a civil war in a neighbouring country in support of rebels of Russian ethnicity, how can we paint ourselves as angels for training and equipping more young Ukrainian men to kill in that same civil war?

Then we have not one, but two separate missions committed to the mess that once was the nation of Iraq.

One group of special forces operatives and helicopters remain in support of the U.S.-led alliance to defeat Daesh (aka ISIS or ISIL) while the second mission will be a Canadian-led, NATO effort to train more young Iraqi men how to kill. These Iraqis will in turn prop the corrupt regime in Baghdad.

For the record, and to silence those who prattle on about how the West is democratizing Iraq, the last round of elections failed to produce a verifiable result. A recount was ordered, but before that could happen, somehow, the warehouse containing the ballots burned down. You could not make this stuff up. As a result, the next regime will be headed up by a Shiite cleric and warlord named Muqtada Al-Sadr.

In 2004, this guy was considered public enemy No. 1 by the U.S. when he mobilized his militia to combat the American occupation.

Canada has no seat at the big boy table that will eventually seek to resolve the multifaceted conflict that engulfs Syria, Iraq and eastern Turkey. It will probably require a redrawing of existing maps and perhaps even the creation of new states, but none of that will be concluded with any Canadian say in the matter. In the meantime, we somehow justify the fact that our elite soldiers are teaching more young Iraqi men to kill more effectively.

In Mali, we can at least boast that we are under the UN banner, wearing blue berets, and using our helicopters for medical evacuation missions.

Unfortunately there is also no end game objective in Mali. Canada’s present commitment of one year will expire long before the fundamental causes of the Malian conflict have been resolved. In other words, our Canadian troops are doing a lot all around the world but achieving very little.

Don Martin: Waving the White Flag on Canada as a Middle Military Power

By: Don Martin, CTVNews, Host of PowerPlay 

The most uplifting takeaway from my 2007 Afghanistan embedding with the troops was hearing how our soldiers had never been prouder to serve than being in combat against the tyranny of the Taliban.

But a decade later, that pride has gone along with the fall in our status as a middle military power.

We continue to negotiate to buy hand-me-down jets from the Aussies. Combat ship building languishes on the drawing boards as the price tag soars. And with new supply ships delayed by at least four years, the substitute vessel can’t actually venture into dangerous environments where the navy usually goes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reviews an honour guard at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv, Ukraine Tuesday July 12, 2016. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Sure there is a small training mission in Ukraine and a mid-sized Latvia deployment to deter Russian aggression.

And let’s not forget the mostly idle Operation Impact, a $370-million exercise monitoring Iraq for signs of ISIS life with zero actual impact on protecting the region.

But the final insult to Canada’s military status downgrade was a small CBC story this week.

Military documents revealed the defence minister couldn’t bring himself to send a tiny group of soldiers for UN peacekeeping duty in Colombia.

Consider the context of this unfathomable display of military risk avoidance.

Colombia is a country where two civil-warring factions have disarmed and declared a peaceful end to a 50-year conflict. That means it’s the peacekeeping equivalent of monitoring a Grade four class in the playground during recess.

Yet inexplicably Canada dithered, pondering the potential danger of the mission until the spots were filled by other countries which didn’t consider the world’s safest peacekeeping assignment too risky to join.

This has got to leave Canada’s war-hardened Chief of Defence Staff avoiding eye contact in the mirror.

Jonathan Vance didn’t sign up to watch countries like Jordan, Denmark, Holland and even Rwanda deliver peacekeeping in extremely dangerous Mali while Canada goes AWOL in offering to monitor the coffee grow in Colombia.

Two years after Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan began scouring the world for places to help, we still have 600 troops waiting for a reason to deploy.

Our 50,000-plus combat-ready troops, trapped on base by the government’s pacifist preference to avoid a world filled with conflict, must be mortified that all missions are seemingly impossible.

By refusing to accept even the softest assignment for blue helmet peacekeeping, the Canadian government has waved the white flag as a middle military power.

That’s the Last Word.

CAF to Train Battalion-sized Unit for first time in Ukraine

DND Press Release

As part of Canada’s ongoing commitment to support Ukraine, the Canadian Armed Forces will temporarily increase the number of trainers in the country in order to assist in the training of a Battalion Tactical Group of Ukrainian troops.

Today, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are arriving at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine.

This represents the largest Canadian contingent since the start of Operation Unifier to help train and mentor the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Under Operation Unifier, the CAF is working with our US allies in providing military training and capacity building to the Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel to support Ukraine in its efforts to maintain sovereignty, security, and stability.

“This increase of CAF trainers demonstrates Canada’s enduring commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This training assistance builds on previous support by our Government and will bolster Ukraine’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty, security, and stability,” said The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence.

The training provided by the CAF, in coordination with our allies, contributes to enhancing the Armed Forces of Ukraine self-sufficiency in training delivery and their ability to conduct military operations across the full spectrum of conflict.

By participating in this training mission, the CAF is helping to develop the professionalism and modernization of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, supporting Ukrainian aspirations to achieve military compatibility with NATO by 2020.

Since August 2015, the CAF has deployed approximately 200 CAF personnel on a rotating basis to Ukraine and will continue to do so until the end of March 2019. More than 5 000 Armed Forces of Ukraine candidates have participated in the training.

The surge team comprises a total of 48 CAF members from infantry, artillery, armored and logistical corps, increasing Canada’s presence to approximately 240 personnel for the duration of the temporary increase.

The duration of the temporary increase to the training team is approximately 60 days.

The International Peacekeeping and Security Centre is located in Starychi in western Ukraine close to the Polish border.

Government of Canada Signs Defence Cooperation Arrangement With Ukraine

DND Press Release

April 4, 2017 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Canada and Ukraine have a long history of friendship, common values, and shared ambitions for the future of our peoples.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan met today with Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak to sign the Canada-Ukraine Defence Cooperation Arrangement.

This bilateral arrangement further exemplifies Canada’s commitment to Ukraine by identifying areas of mutual cooperation such as defence policy; defence research, development, and production; and military education. The Canada-Ukraine Defence Cooperation Arrangement is a key part of the Canadian Government`s multifaceted support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty, security, and stability. This arrangement is focused on providing a framework for cooperation on important defence-related issues.

In the coming days, Defence Minister Poltorak will meet Members of Parliament and Senators, and tour Canadian Armed Forces facilities such as Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.

“Today's signing of the Defence Cooperation Arrangement shows Canada's steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. It strengthens the ties between our two nations and helps us continue to develop our rich, mutually beneficial relationships. Canada remains fully committed to providing assistance to Ukraine, helping to preserve and protect its sovereignty through Operation UNIFIER, and to supporting the implementation of key reforms.”— Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister

In addition to the Canadian Government`s recent decision to renew Operation UNIFIER until the end of March 2019, the Canada-Ukraine Defence Cooperation Arrangement reaffirms the mutual trust and common interest in international peace shared between the two countries.

Canada has provided a broad range of assistance (development, financial, humanitarian, non-lethal military) to Ukraine, totalling more than $700 million since January 2014.

Since September 2015, more than 3200 Ukrainian Armed Forces members have been trained by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Ukraine Looks to Canada to Help Modernize Military's 'Soviet Mentality'

By: Evan Dyer, CBC News 

As the war in Eastern Ukraine grinds on, away from the international headlines, the country's Soviet-era military is struggling to suppress separatist forces backed by a modern, well-resourced Russian machine.

And it is looking to Canada for help.

Canadian military instructors and Ukrainian servicemen take part in a military exercise at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv, Ukraine in this July 2016 file photo. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Both sides in the three-year-old conflict blithely ignore commitments made under the Minsk agreement — the ceasefire plan signed in early 2015 — to keep heavy weapons out of the conflict zone.

The Ukrainians, worried by U.S. President Donald Trump's closeness to Russia and his talk of accepting the annexation of Crimea, have been manoeuvring to win back some areas where they had agreed to remain out.

The combined Russian-separatist side has also upped the tempo of its rocketing and shelling, and still tends to be more effective in using those weapons, thanks to superior command, control and communications.

The Ukrainian side, meanwhile, continues to closely resemble its Soviet predecessor with outmoded uniforms, equipment, organization and training.

Russia's armed forces have been through years of rapid modernization. The effects can be seen among the separatist forces of Luhansk and Donetsk, which include thousands of Russian soldiers nominally fighting as "volunteers" of Novorossiya or "New Russia."

A member of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic forces inspects a building, damaged during battles with Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

The result is a conflict that sometimes resembles the Russian Army of today fighting the Russian Army of 25 years ago — the one that suffered defeat in Afghanistan and the first Chechen War.

But Ukraine and its Western allies, including Canada, are determined to change that dynamic.

'DRAB' to the rescue

Jill Sinclair, a former assistant deputy minister of defence who once led the Canadian government's efforts to ban landmines, now holds Canada's seat on a panel designed to bring the Ukrainian armed forces into the 21st century.

Ukraine's Defence Reform Advisory Board (DRAB) is charged with steering the Ukrainian military through a crash transformation even as it fights a low-level war against a far-stronger neighbour.

She likens the task to "changing the wheels on a bicycle while the bicycle is moving."

Her co-chairs are a trio of retired generals: former U.S. Centcom commander John Abizaid; the U.K.'s Sir Nick Parker; and Jonas Andriskevicius, former commander of Lithuania's armed forces.

Sinclair says there's currently "a Soviet mentality" in the Ukrainian armed forces and Defence Ministry. "The Ukrainians would be the first to say that."

While the Russian military underwent dramatic upgrades under Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's military stagnated from independence in the early 1990s, through to the outbreak of hostilities in 2014.

Outclassed on the battlefield

For Ukraine, the war in the east began with crushing defeats. First at Ilovaisk in summer of 2014, then again at Debaltseve six months later, Ukrainian units were first encircled, then decimated by Russian artillery.

The battles showcased new Russian tactics that combined drone and satellite reconnaissance with modern communications and targeting, to produce devastatingly accurate and concentrated barrages.
Renewed fighting in Ukraine pushes town to brink of catastrophe

Survivors who straggled back to Ukrainian lines brought tales of incompetent commanders, confused orders, chaotic supply lines and abandonment by Kyiv.

It all led to a commission of inquiry, where those recriminations were aired publicly. The inquiry estimated that 1,000 soldiers died at Ilovaisk alone.

Ukrainian forces have never recovered the territory lost in those battles. But the debacle brought home the need for reform. "They really hit the reset button three years ago," says Sinclair.

She says the Ukrainians turned to their allies in the West to ask: "How are they going to position themselves so they're not constantly being bested by the other side?

"They want to move, by the end of 2018, to a civilian Ministry of Defence, and by 2020 to full civilian control of the armed forces," she says. "They also want to get to full interoperability with NATO by 2020."

That last goal is a monumental challenge for a military that still depends almost entirely on Warsaw Pact equipment.

But Ukraine's state defence conglomerate, Ukroboronprom, has already begun production of a licensed version of the American M16 assault rifle, which will ultimately replace the Russian-made Kalashnikov designs currently used, allowing Ukrainian forces to use NATO small arms ammunition.

Canadian companies are also finding plenty of opportunity as Ukraine retools its defence industry. Pratt & Whitney Canada, Esterline/CMC Electronics, IMP Aerospace, and L-3 Wescam all have joint projects with Ukroboronprom.

Training mission wrapping up?

Ukraine's foreign advisers are looking beyond the current conflict, Sinclair says.

"Canada's starting point is Ukraine's stated goal of joining the Euro-Atlantic family," she says, adding that Canada's training mission at Yavoriv, in western Ukraine, is focused on overall modernization and professionalisation.

"We're never sitting down with the Ukrainians and saying, 'How do we help you to defeat the Russians?'," she says. "We are looking at the long haul, but of course in the meantime, people are being deployed [to the front lines]."

The effects of that training can be seen in those eastern battlegrounds, Sinclair says. "The last 24 months or so, they've been holding their own a lot better."

As of this month, more than 3,000 Ukrainians had completed courses given by Canadian Armed Forces trainers, mostly either small-team infantry training or explosive ordnance training.

Canada's training countering improvised explosive devices, Sinclair says, has been a lifesaver for Ukrainian troops.

But Canada's training mission is set to end on March 31, and the Trudeau government has yet to say whether it will be renewed. Donations of free equipment to Ukraine have essentially dried up since the Harper government delivered several shipments of non-lethal assistance in the winter of 2014-15.

Profiteers and freebooters

Meantime, the internal battles in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry are focused on corruption and militias — two perennial issues that the country is finally determined to tackle, Sinclair says.

"You can't look at defence reform without looking at the militias," she says of the powerful paramilitary brigades that operate — at least nominally — under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Some of the militias, including the Azov Regiment and Right Sector, are given to displaying far-right and even neo-Nazi symbols that have embarrassed the government and provided ammunition for Russian propaganda. But the Ukrainian government is also painfully aware that their rush to the front lines may have saved the Ukrainian military from total collapse in the war's disastrous early days.

Ukraine's foreign advisers are looking beyond the current conflict in the east, hoping for a modernized military that will be under civilian control by 2020. (Oleksandr Klymenko/Reuters)

Some of the brigades answer to individual Ukrainian oligarchs who recruited them and paid to equip them as patriotic gestures; their obedience to central command is questionable.

"They have been playing fast and loose. Does the Ukrainian government have its arms around all of that?" asks Sinclair. "Donor countries want to see more order and more cohesion."

As for corruption, the bane of Ukraine's recent governments, profiteers who sought to get rich from the war, are finally being driven out, Sinclair says.

"Previously, somebody's brother was getting the contract to feed the troops. Now it's a German company with full transparency."

OP UNIFIER Extended until March 2019

DND Press Release 

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs today announced that the Government of Canada is extending Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces military training mission in Ukraine, until the end of March 2019.

Through Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces provides military training and capacity-building assistance to Ukrainian Forces personnel in support of Ukraine’s efforts to maintain sovereignty, security, and stability.

Together with our allies and the Government of Ukraine, the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to support the professional development and enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces through a range of training activities such as:

• small team training
• explosive ordnance disposal
• military policing
• medical training
• logistics system modernisation 

The Canadian Armed Forces will also be transitioning over time to support strategic institutional reform of Ukraine’s defence establishment.

Operation UNIFIER supports broader Government of Canada efforts to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Ukraine through development, financial, humanitarian, and non-lethal military assistance.

“The Government of Canada is committed to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people as they work to build a more secure, stable and prosperous country, and Canada continues to be at the forefront of the international community’s response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. I am proud of the talented and dedicated women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces who contribute to a more stable world as we demonstrate our reliability as a partner to our allies and our commitment to European security.” Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Defence

“Canada is unwavering in its support to Ukraine, both in helping to preserve and protect Ukraine’s sovereignty, and in providing assistance to Ukraine to implement key reforms. Operation UNIFIER represents a critical piece of our multifaceted support to Ukraine. It supports the professional development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who are essential for deterring aggression and creating a safe space for the sustainable social and economic development that the people of Ukraine want and deserve.”  Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs

“Our highly-skilled soldiers have provided valuable military training and capacity building to our partners in Ukraine, and they will now continue to do so. I am confident this renewed mission will help the Ukrainian Armed Forces ensure stability in the region.” General Jonathan H. Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff

Canada has provided a broad range of assistance (development, financial, humanitarian, non-lethal military) to Ukraine, totaling more than $700 million since January 2014.

Canada has contributed over $16 million in non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine’s armed forces.

The extension of Operation UNIFIER will continue to involve approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed in Ukraine.

Since the start of the training in September 2015, more than 3200 Ukrainian Armed Forces members have been trained by the Canadian Armed Forces.

As Ukraine violence continues, Ottawa considers Expanding Military Presence

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press 

Ukrainian Government-back forces and Russian-backed rebels have stepped up the fighting in Eastern Ukraine in the past week., killing at least 19. (E. Maloletka/AP) 

OTTAWA—Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the federal government is concerned about a new outbreak of fighting in Ukraine and is looking at ways to “improve” Canada’s military support to the country.

“I’m looking at the options right now in terms of how we can improve our support, what changes that we need to make,” Sajjan said Wednesday.

“But one thing is for sure, that Canada remains committed to Ukraine.”

Government forces and Russian-backed rebels have traded heavy fire in eastern Ukraine over the last few days, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens more.

The surge in violence is threatening to overturn a ceasefire in the three-year-old civil war that has been repeatedly broken by both sides, but is still seen as the best chance for peace.

It also comes amid uncertainty over U.S. intentions in the region, including whether it will continue to stand with Ukraine given President Donald Trump’s comments about mending relations with Russia.

Canada first deployed about 200 troops to Ukraine in the summer of 2015 to help train government forces after Russia annexed Crimea and began supporting separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donbass region.

The mission, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured during a visit to the country in July, has so far resulted in 2,600 Ukrainian troops being trained primarily in the basic soldiering.

But the mission is set to expire at the end of March and the Liberal government had been noncommittal on an extension despite public appeals from the Ukrainian government.

Sajjan’s comments, coming a few weeks after the British extended their own training mission, are the strongest indication yet that Canada will maintain, and may even expand, its military presence in Ukraine.

“I’ve always said when we send troops, we want to make sure they have a meaningful impact,” Sajjan said. “And we are having a meaningful impact in Ukraine.”

Conservative defence critic James Bezan said he hopes the Liberal government not only extends the current training mission, but expands military support in other ways.

That includes providing military equipment to the Ukrainians and satellite imagery, as the previous Conservative government did.

“At some point in time we have to make a decision that Ukraine needs our help,” Bezan said.

“They’re fighting a war against Russian imperialism and if they fail, then it’s right on NATO’s doorstep. So they definitely need the support and training. They definitely need the support with satellite images. They should at the very least be supplying nonkinetic equipment.”

Canada’s large and influential Ukrainian community has also made it clear that it wants the government continue to provide military assistance to the eastern European country.

But there have been misgivings inside the Canadian Forces, with some grumbles the military is being stretched thin as it prepares to send troops to Latvia and Africa while also supporting the mission in Iraq.

There are also concerns about ongoing problems with corruption among the Ukrainian military, particularly at the top levels.

Sajjan said he was confident, based on defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance’s assessment, that the Canadian Forces is not being overstretched.

And while he acknowledged corruption remains an issue, Sajjan said Canada will continue to work with Ukrainian authorities to ensure the problem is addressed.

“We have to make sure we have the confidence of the population,” he said.

“I’m confident that we’ll keep moving in that direction, and we’ll also make sure that as we move forward, that we’ll help them with any efficiencies that they need as well.”

Sajjan did not say when a decision would be made on whether to extend the mission, though officials say options have been drawn up by the military and will be presented to cabinet in the coming weeks.

Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, expressed frustration in an interview last month with how long things were taking.

“Those people who sit in the Kremlin and plan their other terrible activities in Ukraine, the sooner they learn that the West and Canada is serious about future co-operation, the better it is,” he said.

Ukraine Awaiting Word From Canada on Troop Commitment

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch 

Ukraine’s envoy has told the Canadian Press news agency that his country is growing concerned about whether Canada will continue its future military support to his country to help it deal with Russian aggression.

The Canadian Forces has 200 military personnel providing training to their Ukrainian security counterparts. The mission will expire at the end of March.

“It has taken us much longer than we expected to discuss the future format of our co-operation,” Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada, said in an interview with the Canadian Press. “We still don’t have a formal response from Canada.”

A spokesperson for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan didn’t provide any other details, except to say, “The announcement will come after cabinet has made a decision.”

But readers might recall that it was just two months ago, Sajjan was stating that Canada and Ukraine share the same values and that it could count on continued support. “We are committed to supporting Ukraine,” Sajjan said. “We have our troops there.”


Around the same time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to NATO in eastern Europe, pointing out that his government is a stronger supporter of the alliance in Ukraine.

To retreat on a Ukraine commitment would be a significant development for the Liberal government.

The delay on a new commitment could be that the Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces is trying to juggle the Latvian deployment and Ukraine mission and is still trying to work those details out for both missions.

Canadian Army training Ukrainian Military Police as part of OP UNIFIER

Canadian Army News

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

An Army Public Affairs team is deploying to Ukraine and will be providing further coverage of Operation UNIFIER in the coming weeks.

Kingston, Ontario — A Canadian Army officer says efforts to bring the Armed Forces of Ukraine up to speed on NATO military policing practices as part of Operation UNIFIER (Op UNIFIER) have been a great success.

Op UNIFIER is the name of Canada’s contribution to an ongoing multinational training mission that is building capacity in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Canadian troops have been on the ground there since the summer of 2015 as Joint Task Force-Ukraine, sharing their expertise in a wide range of soldiering skills.Major Greg Losier recently returned to his position at the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre in Kingston, Ontario after spending several weeks leading a team charged with training Ukrainian troops in various aspects of military policing.

Ukrainian trainees conduct a practice vehicle checkpoint under the guidance of Canadian Military Police instructors while on Operation UNIFIER at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine on September 23, 2016. Photo by: Joint Task Force – Ukraine. ©2016 DND/MDN.

In the following interview, Maj Losier discusses the challenges of the task, the enthusiasm of both his team and the trainees, and the role of the international military policing family.

What is the context of the military policing aspect of Op UNIFIER?

The Ukrainians have something called the Military Law and Order Service. It’s a nascent military police capability that stood up just a few years ago. It’s a bit different culturally compared to what we’re used to in a Western military. The old Soviet structures didn’t really have fulsome military police and investigative capabilities per se, and the Ukrainians were sort of a product of that culture.
Our main effort is training in proper use of force and personal protection so that they can become more interoperable with NATO in the future. And we’ve also provided a military police investigation course. Ukraine is actually collaborating with Poland and Lithuania to put together a brigade structure with a platoon of field-capable military police from each of the three countries.
What did the training consist of?

I was appointed as the team lead back in April, and I had the luxury of being able to assemble and hand-pick a very competent team. There were eight members of our team, five military police and three non-military police to provide us support.

Training consisted of a variety of lectures, practical scenarios to support the lectures, and some additional exercises. So we would do theory, demonstration, and then we’d go out and practice in the actual deployed environment.

Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service trainees prepare a vehicle checkpoint following a lesson by Canadian instructors during Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine. Photo by: Joint Task Force – Ukraine on September 12, 2016. ©2016 DND/MDN.

How would you describe the experience?

The Ukrainians took some of their best and brightest and put them together in this particular platoon so they could train and work together to eventually deploy in the NATO environment. What we had as a training audience was a group of very fit, very experienced, very capable and very motivated military police soldiers that were hungry to learn as much as they could about NATO.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with such a group of professionals. They are phenomenal soldiers in their own right, very well experienced. I was incredibly impressed with the group, all ranks within the group, with how keen and motivated they are to work towards this goal.

We delivered the training in three weeks. It was very gratifying to see the progress of a group from start to finish in such a short period of time.

What were the greatest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges we have is language. It’s the Cyrillic alphabet, Ukrainian language, and of course Ukrainian and Russian are spoken interchangeably. I was able to get the services of a Ukrainian speaker and writer as well as a Russian speaker and writer to assist with translation of our curriculum.

People can translate information but when it comes to technical language, military language, there’s always a challenge to ensure that the translation is being done as well as possible. We mitigated that in large part by bringing our own linguistic support, actual military police and military police officers that understood the curriculum and that broke down most of the communication barriers right there.
The NATO military police community is, as hokey as it sounds, very much a family environment. And that was one of the things we really stressed upon with this group – to say, ‘Folks you’re now part of the military police family.’ And once they saw they were part of this wider community, it really assisted in focusing the efforts on both sides to ensure that we would be able to work well together in the future, which is the ultimate goal.

Ukraine warns Canada not to trust Russian co-operation over Arctic

By: Steven Chase, Globe and Mail 

A senior Ukrainian envoy is warning a thaw in diplomatic relations between Canada and Russia will primarily benefit Vladimir Putin – a caution that came as relations abruptly deteriorated between Moscow and Washington on Monday over Syria and nuclear arsenals.

Vadym Prystaiko, deputy foreign minister of Ukraine, is visiting Ottawa this week to discuss the future of his country, where Russia has controlled the Crimean peninsula since 2014, and bankrolls pro-Moscow militants that have destabilized eastern Ukraine.

Mr. Prystaiko, a former Ukrainian ambassador to Canada, said Kiev is grateful for all Canadians have done for his country, but is not happy to see the Trudeau government resume co-operation with Russia over the Arctic.

Canada and Russia are members of the Arctic Council, but the former Conservative government suspended all but low-level discussions with Moscow after the country annexed Crimea.

The Liberals announced last week that Canada and Russia will host an Arctic conference in Ottawa in November, saying shunning Moscow was an “irrationality” and illogical given that “between us we control 75 per cent of the North.” Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion says Canada will continue to voice “profound disagreement” over Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, noting Ottawa has increased sanctions on Moscow since the Liberals took power.

Mr. Prystaiko said engaging with Russia chips away at the international isolation that has bedevilled Mr. Putin since he took over Crimea. Russia was ejected from the Group of Eight forum of major industrialized countries and faces damaging sanctions.

“The Arctic Council is another way where [the Russian President] can break through the worldwide political blockade,” the Ukraine envoy said. “The guy is going for something else than just … the fate of seals or spills of oil.”

The Ukrainian official warned Canada cannot trust any of Russia’s commitments at the Arctic Council.

“Any rapprochement with Russians, before they behave in a civilized way, is too premature,” Mr. Prystaiko said. “Whatever the forum ... we are talking to the aggressor.”

Mr. Prystaiko pointed to Mr. Putin’s announcement on Monday that Moscow will suspend a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium.

“How can you believe in the Arctic Council or document signed with Russia if they would break any agreement?

Russia’s move came just before the United States announced it was suspending one-on-one talks with Moscow toward ending the violence in Syria. Washington accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments under a ceasefire agreement.

Mr. Putin issued a decree suspending an accord concluded in 2000 that had committed the United States and Russia to shrink their nuclear arsenals and dispose of surplus plutonium originally intended for use in nuclear weapons.

The Kremlin said it was taking that action in response to unfriendly acts by Washington.

Under the Conservatives, Ottawa sent military trainers to western Ukraine to help that country’s soldiers upgrade their skills for the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The deployment is slated to end in 2017, but Ukraine hopes the Liberals will extend the mission. Several years ago, Ottawa gave Ukraine $400-million in low-interest loans and has donated tonnes of non-lethal military equipment. Canada also recently concluded a free-trade agreement with Ukraine.

Pro-Russian militants retain control of a portion of eastern Ukraine where Mr. Prystaiko said Moscow posted 6,000 soldiers to lead and support the rebels. The ruble is a circulating currency in this region, he said, and Kiev charges that Russia has been stealing valuable factory equipment and metallurgical coal from the area.

Furthermore, the conflict has blocked the most direct route for Ukraine’s exports to Asia.

“Imagine the United States is [going after you] you with military force, cutting out all trade you have with the United States and then they will decide to block, for example, exports to China,” Mr. Prystaiko said. “We used to send all our exports to China through the railroads over the Russian territory. Now they are blocking exports.”

Canadian Military Police Prepare Ukrainians for NATO-led Exercise

Military Police instructors with Joint Task Force – Ukraine provide feedback after a practical vehicle checkpoint lesson at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine during Operation UNIFIER on September 12, 2016. (Photo: Joint Task Force – Ukraine)

By: Lieutenant (N) Aaron Lutter, Second in Command of MP Field Training

On September 24, 2016, a Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service (MLOS) Field Platoon successfully completed three weeks of training under the guidance of the Canadian Armed Forces Military Police (MP) at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine.

In September of 2015, the Chiefs of Defence of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland agreed to provide a multinational MP company in support of a multinational brigade at a NATO-led exercise to be held in 2017. Given Canada’s recent experience in conducting similar training missions, the Ukrainian MLOS looked specifically to Canada to provide baseline training for their contribution in preparation for that commitment.



“I am convinced that the experience gained through this training will enable these Ukrainian students to effectively perform their duties, be it as part of a multinational exercise or while deployed in the operations zone,” said Major Jade Watson, Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force - Ukraine.

Development and translation of the training syllabus commenced ten weeks prior to deployment. A team of three MP Officers, and two MP Non-Commissioned Members was selected, based on their background and experience in field MP operations. Their first task was to build a training package to include duties and responsibilities of a field MP Platoon with a focus on NATO interoperability. Concurrent with the curriculum development, the MLOS Platoon began internal training to reinforce individual soldier skills, in a manner similar to how Canada soldiers complete annual Individual Battle Task Standards training. Additionally, Operation UNIFIER personnel provided valuable assistance and support through provision of Combat First Aid and Explosive Threat and Hazard Awareness and Recognition training.

The MP team arrived in Ukraine in two groups: an advance party on August 24 and the remainder on September 3, 2016. Training began on September 5. In keeping with the Op UNIFIER battle rhythm, training was conducted six days a week. To best prepare the MLOS Platoon for NATO duties, instructional material centred on the five NATO MP functions: mobility support, security, detention, police functions, and stability police functions.

Classes consisted of theory and practical exercises, and included duties and responsibilities typically assigned a field MP Platoon. These duties included a wide array of tasks such as conduct of Command Post operations, NATO orders format, route reconnaissance, Prisoner of War and detainee handling, site exploitation, refugee and straggler control, rear area security, traffic control, and policing in failed and failing states.

“We were able to learn lots of important new skills on this course, and further improve several skills that we already had. This training has certainly helped prepare us for next year’s exercise,” said Senior Lieutenant Sergii Orlov, Ukrainian MLOS Platoon Commander.

The training package culminated in a three day field exercise, which challenged the MLOS Platoon in all aspects of field MP duties, and confirmed the knowledge and skills gained over the training period. Throughout the scenarios the Ukrainian students demonstrated at every opportunity that they are well prepared to effectively contribute to the multinational MP company in 2017 or on deployed operations.

Can Canada be an Honest Broker on Ukraine?

Originally Published by the CGA Institute 

By Andrew Rasiulis

It was noted in some circles last week, that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not invited to participate in talks held on the margins of the G-20 meeting focused on resolving the political and military impasse in eastern Ukraine. This meeting included the leaders of US, France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia under the informal diplomatic umbrella of the Normandy Group (first formed in June 2014 at D-Day anniversary gathering). Murray Brewster wrote an excellent article for the CBC on September 11, examining the background for Canada's absence, with thoughtful analysis by Professors Piotr Dutkiewicz and Dominique Arel. The upshot being Canada has been too closely identified with the political position of the government in Ukraine and too tight with US positions on Ukraine to distinguish itself as a potential honest broker in finding a political/diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Canadian objectivity on the Ukraine file needs to be restored if Canada has the aspiration to return to its traditional role of honest broker and to thereby make a diplomatic contribution to finding a peaceful settlement. Being objective does not mean that Canada must relinquish its values or interests. On the contrary, Canada has traditionally fostered its values and interests through a measured objectivity which has enabled our diplomats and soldiers to act in an impartial manner to negotiate and resolve conflict.

This was the pattern set after World War II in which Canadian foreign and defence policy was firmly rooted within the Western camp during the Cold War. Canada made its valued military contribution to the NATO and NORAD alliances, as it continues to do so today. However, being a strong backer of its values and interests as represented by these alliances, as well as its close bilateral relationship to the US, did not prevent Canada from playing a valued honest broker role in the context of the UN or other international fora such as the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), now renamed the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Canadian diplomats and soldiers were often sought after to play the helpful fixer role in finding solutions to security issues of the day.

Canada still has that opportunity today, whether on the larger international scene or specifically the Ukraine-Russian conflict. The current peace settlement process under the Minsk 2 arrangement agreed in February 2015 is stalled over the reluctance of the Ukrainian government to hold discussions on constitutional reform that would allow greater autonomy for the predominately Russian-speaking rebel-held areas. Both Ukrainians and Russians have agreed under Minsk on reforms and to confirm the package through local elections in the rebel-held areas under Ukrainian law.

Subject to this constitutional reform agreement, all sides agree that the Ukrainian authorities would retake control of the Ukrainian border. Canada has the opportunity to engage itself as an honest broker and to bring to the negotiating table our extensive experience in the evolution of federalism and the peaceful accommodation of ethnic and linguistic diversity. Canada is diplomatically well placed to engage itself in the process under the auspices of the OSCE which continues to play a supporting role to the Normandy Group and the Minsk process.

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M. Andrew Rasiulis is retired from the Public Service and is now a freelance consultant with Andrew Rasiulis Associates Inc. He is also a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Op UNIFIER medical staff hit the ground running

DND Press Release
By: a Joint Task Force-Ukraine Medical Technician and Trainer

Barely unpacked, Joint Task Force-Ukraine medical staff began mentoring Ukrainian instructors in mid-August as they conducted their first Combat First Aid (CFA) course. The course was entirely taught by the Ukrainian Armed Forces instructors, who were well-trained by the outgoing Operation UNIFIER medical personnel.

Starychi, Ukraine. September 2, 2016 – Sergeant Marnie Musson, a Medical Technician with Joint Task Force - Ukraine, mentors Combat First Aid training at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre during Operation UNIFIER. (Photo: Joint Task Force Ukraine)

After a busy handover with the out-going medical team, the newly arrived medical staff from 1 Field Ambulance at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton moved forward with an open mind.

“I was very impressed with the level of performance and instruction,” said a Master Corporal Medical Technician and trainer at the conclusion of Ukrainian-led Combat First Aid training. “Our Ukrainian instructor colleagues, as well as the course candidates, far exceeded expectations.”

The course was divided into segments that included theoretical (classroom-based) instruction, demonstrations of technique from the Ukrainian instructors, practical sessions where candidates demonstrated their understanding of material, and skill stations designed to perfect key techniques.

The Ukrainian instructors arrived the day before classes started. This gave the Canadian medical mentors time to review expectations and provide the Ukrainians an opportunity to refine their skills and ask any last minute questions prior to beginning instruction the next morning. This was the first opportunity for Ukrainian instructors to deliver a complete CFA course to their Ukrainian Armed Forces colleagues, and they stepped up to the plate in a big way.

The course consisted of thirty-six candidates with diverse backgrounds and military experience levels, ranging from seasoned veterans with front-line experience, to new recruits with as little as nine months of total military experience. All of the candidates were enthusiastic and eager to learn the course material; their pride showed when they were congratulated by the Operation UNIFIER Task Force Commander, Task Force Sergeant-Major, and Task Force Surgeon upon graduation.

“I think the success of a Ukrainian-led CFA course marks an important milestone in the progression of Operation UNIFIER,” said Major Carlo Rossi, Operation UNIFIER, Task Force Surgeon. “These courses are a strong indicator of the mission’s success-to-date, and are the way forward for our medical training here.”

The inaugural course complete, Operation UNIFIER medical staff are now on to the next challenge: they will be mentoring the next CFA serial being delivered to Ukrainian Combat Engineers by Ukrainian instructors.

PM won't say if Canada to keep sending troops to Ukraine

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

KYIV, Ukraine -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrapped up his latest overseas travels Tuesday with a visit to western Ukraine, where he will greet the Canadian Forces soldiers who have been training their Ukrainian counterparts since last summer.

Whether those troops will still be there next summer, however, was both an open question and a central issue Monday as Trudeau met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The previous Conservative government deployed 200 Canadian military trainers to a base near the Ukrainian city of Lviv last year in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The Canadians, alongside British and American troops, have been teaching the basics of soldiering, such as how to use their weapons and move as a unit, as well as more advanced skills such bomb disposal and medical training.

"We are giving significant support to the Ukrainian military to be able to be more effective in defending and reclaiming Ukrainian territory," Trudeau told a news conference where the two countries announced a new Canada-Ukraine free trade deal.

"We are very happy to be involved in and to be supporting the people of Ukraine."

Trudeau wouldn't say, however, whether the Liberal government -- fresh from committing hundreds of troops to form the core of a NATO battalion in Latvia -- will extend the training mission past its current expiry date in March.

Poroshenko said a professional military is essential for protecting his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "I have asked the prime minister to prolong the mandate of the mission," he said through an interpreter.

Asked to respond, Trudeau said Canada would co-ordinate with its international partners and allies on how best to help Ukraine in the future.

"We are right now focused on the training mission that is going so well for both Canadians and especially for the Ukrainian military," he said. "As the situation evolves, we will continue to monitor and look at the best way we can continue to support and help Ukraine."

Trudeau did promise more observers for a mission by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitoring ceasefire violations between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces in the country's east. Canada will increase its complement to the 700-strong OSCE mission from 25 to 50.

Canada will also send more police officers to help train the Ukrainian police.

Russia loomed large as Trudeau met with Poroshenko and other Ukrainian officials throughout the day. Some European allies are impatient that Ukraine is not doing enough to implement its commitments in the Minsk peace deal with the rebels and Russia, but Trudeau pointed the finger at Moscow.

"Russia has not been a positive partner," he said. "They have not been moving responsibly or appropriately on things like ceasefires or international observers."

For his part, Poroshenko said Ukraine has fulfilled 95 per cent of its political obligations and all of its security requirements under the agreement. He went on to accuse Russian "troops and mercenaries" of having launched an attack against Ukrainian positions earlier in the day.

Solidarity was a central theme to Trudeau's visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian leaders and civil society groups and paid homage to Ukrainians killed in mass atrocities by the Nazis and Soviets in the 20th century, and more recently in the country's 2014 revolution.

A key moment came when Trudeau and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman visited a memorial to those killed in the Euromaidan, an uprising that ousted the pro-Russian president in the name of democracy. Surrounded by pictures of the dead, the two placed rose bouquets before a wooden cross bearing the image of Jesus before a moment of silence.

A short time later, in a meeting with Ukrainian parliamentarians, Trudeau talked about the importance of fighting for democracy.

"Many of us in the West have gone a long time without having to fight for democracy," he said. "Ukrainians reminded us how important democracy is, and how we can't take it for granted."

In a meeting with Groysman and his cabinet, Trudeau praised the Ukrainian government's progress towards democracy. In meetings with Ukrainian leaders and civil society representatives, however, he also emphasized the importance of championing the hopes and aspirations of average Ukrainians wanting a better future.

"Reforms never happen as quickly as everyone would like," Trudeau told the civil society roundtable session.

"But your job is not to make everything happen overnight, as you well know. Your job is to make sure that everything keeps moving forward as responsibly and as quickly as you can."

Trudeau and his oldest son Xavier also paid their respects to Ukrainians killed in past atrocities. They laid a bouquet of flowers at a memorial to tens of thousands of Ukrainians, many of them Jews, killed by the Nazis in Kyiv during he Second World War.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Canadian troops in Ukraine

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

LVIV, Ukraine — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Canadian soldiers on Tuesday for their role in training the Ukrainian army, before getting a demonstration of their work firsthand.

Speaking to some of the 200 soldiers who have been based near the western city of Lviv since January, Trudeau emphasized the importance of continuing to support Ukraine in its struggle with Russia.

"It has been a long time since Canada had to defend our valour and defend our territory," he said in French to the soldiers, who are members of the Valcartier-based Royal 22e Regiment, better known as the Vandoos. "But we need to continue to work with those who are fighting for democracy and their territorial integrity. It is essential."

Trudeau didn't say anything, however, about whether the training mission will be extended. It is due to end next March, though Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko made a personal request to Trudeau on Monday to extend it.

The previous Conservative government sent the Canadian military trainers to Ukraine last year in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The Canadians, alongside British and American troops, have been teaching the Ukrainian army the basics of soldiering, such as how to use weapons and move as a unit, as well as more advanced skills such bomb disposal and medical training.

"You are really a source of extraordinary pride for all Canadians," Trudeau said. "And this is an opportunity for me to thank you in person."

After speaking to the troops, Trudeau was joined by his son Xavier and defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance to watch a military exercise involving a group of Canadian and Ukrainian soldiers.

As the Trudeaus and Vance watched through binoculars, a Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier led the soldiers toward a wooden building. The air shook as its cannon fired several rounds in quick succession.

The troops then moved away from the vehicle and spread out in a line facing the building. Four Canadians followed close behind as the eight Ukrainians slowly closed on the building, firing all the way, before placing an explosive inside and setting it off.

The exercise was designed to show how Canadian troops have been helping bring the Ukrainians up to a level where they can push back against Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.

It came at the end of a six-day trip through Eastern Europe for Trudeau in which Russia loomed large.

Trudeau flies home from Lviv later today after having pledged troops to Latvia while attending the NATO summit in Poland, paying an emotional visit to the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, and signing a free trade agreement in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

R22eR Soldiers pass on life-saving tips to Ukrainian troops

By: Mathew Fisher, National Post 

YAVORIV, Ukraine — Seven thousand kilometres from Quebec, but only 10 hours by road from the bloody battlefields of eastern Ukraine, about 200 soldiers mostly from Canada’s storied Royal 22nd Regiment, the Vandoos, are helping to prepare Ukrainian infantry, medics and combat engineers to defend their country against Russian-backed separatists.

More than anything, the Canadian training mission, which began last summer near the Slovak and Polish borders, tries to instil NATO fighting principles and western ethics.

“They are very highly motivated,” said Maj. Bruno Turmel, deputy commander of the Vandoo company which has been here since January. “What they are learning is to be inter-operable with us and the Americans and all the other partners that are here and to build their war fighting capacity and capability.

Turmel, who served twice as a military trainer to Afghan security forces, said he had learned “a lot from the Ukrainian officers and soldiers. They are patriotic and many of them have combat experience.”

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The Vandoos replaced mentors from the Ontario-based Royal Canadian Regiment, who started the mission last August, and will be succeeded next month by the western-based Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

The training mission was set up by the Harper government in reply to a request for help from Kyiv, which does not have enough resources to defend itself from its much larger and wealthier neighbour, Russia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will be in Warsaw this weekend for the NATO leaders’ summit, will discuss whether to continue the training program when he meets Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv afterward.

The Canadians have seven different “lines of effort” taking place simultaneously at several locations around the country. But most of the troops work in a sprawling Ukrainian army base outside Yavoriv, where the training ground is nestled in green hills reminiscent of Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

The longest course offered by the Canadians lasts 55 days. It teaches basic and small unit fighting skills to infantry. There are also leadership courses for senior non-commissioned officers, courses for military police and anti-mining training.

One of the key areas is teaching Ukrainian medics battlefield emergency treatment practises. Such skills are urgently needed as the brutal war in the east grinds on.

Sgt. Yann Gauthier, who did three combat tours as a medic in Afghanistan, was amazed at how quickly some of his students applied the lessons he taught.

“Within a week after graduation, they can go directly to war,” he said.

About 70 per cent of the Canadian trainers — including three of the five medics teaching combat first aid and more specialized course — served in Afghanistan.

That experience “helps me a lot here,” Gauthier said. “It gives me credibility with the Ukrainians. Whether it is on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Ukraine, the body needs the same thing if it is bleeding to death. The techniques are almost the same so we can apply what we learned in Afghanistan.”

Instructor/soldier Arthur Woichenko describes the course offered by the Canadians as “priceless.”

“You can tell when a person already has some experience on the battlefield and has experienced that with his own blood. Looking him in the ey,e you feel it and understand why such methodologies and so important,” he said.

“I have participated in other courses before and we only got basic knowledge. Here, we get practical tasks. I have crossed out what I knew beforehand and absorbed all the information like a sponge because it was so important.”

Graduates are also given a combat first aid kid worth $350.

One of the goals of the 13 NATO nations training Ukrainian forces is to wean them from their top-down Soviet-style leadership and delegate more decisions to junior officers and sergeants.

“The culture is definitely different than what we are used to working with. The decision-making is more highly concentrated in the higher echelons,” said Maj. Jean-François Lamarche, a combat veteran in Kandahar who mostly works in the field with Ukrainian platoons during the 55-day courses.

Although the program had been “quite successful … of course there has been some resistance. It is a new way of thinking for them. But we are not teaching them this as ‘100 per cent the way to go.’ What we do is present them with a way to do things.”

Lt. Alexei Chebutav, who fought Russian-backed forces around the rebel-held city of Donetsk, said there was much to recommend the Canadian approach.

“In the Canadian Armed Forces the accent is on non-commissioned officers,” he said. “In the Ukrainian army a lot of instructors still act according to the rules of the Soviet time.”

“I always tell my soldiers that the experience we get with you can help to save our lives,” Chebutav told his mentor, Lamarche, as their course wound down Monday.

“You leave your souls here and our guys appreciate it very much.”

CAF Military Police Training in Ukraine

Published by DND Press Release
By: Chief Instructor of the use-of-force course, Operation UNIFIER

From 29 February to 11 March 2016, ten instructors from the Canadian Armed Forces Military Police Group delivered, for the third time, an intensive training program on the use of force at Conference Hall Irpin in Kiev. The training is part of the third line of effort of Operation UNIFIER, which is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Ukrainian Military Police.

For most of the candidates, it was the first real training that they had received on the legal, psychological and physical aspects of police work. For the session, the best Ukrainian candidates from the previous two training sessions were invited to join the group of Canadian instructors. They met a few days before the arrival of Ukrainian students and prepared the lessons together.

“It is essential to continue; the intention is to develop their capacity to take over as instructors and to one day include the concepts taught in the basic training of Ukrainian Military Police recruits––a project that is under development,” said the chief instructor who has participated in all of the training sessions, noting the progress made.

The 24 candidates come from different units. Some are employed in police patrol platoons, in detention centres or in special forces. The participants are also of different ranks, ranging from private to colonel. After the training, students must pass a theoretical exam and be assessed on their personal abilities and two tactical scenarios.

“Their willingness to assimilate the information and the effort that they put into the practical exercises is remarkable,” said one Canadian master corporal who was participating as an instructor for the second time. “They set an example for others to follow. It is amazing to see these candidates develop and progress at such a fast pace,” he said.

However, major challenges remain on the strategic and operational level. Lieutenant‑Colonel Martin Laflamme, who serves as co-chair of the Joint Commission’s Military Police Subcommittee, confirms moreover that the committee is working hard to establish the groundwork for institutionalizing the achievements.

The work of the subcommittee and the professionalism of the Canadian instructors will ensure continuity and facilitate a reform of the Ukrainian Military Police. Through those efforts, they will possess the tools and knowledge to enable them to work with NATO countries in the future.

CAF Sends More Troops to Ukraine

Written by: Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — A fresh contingent of Canadian troops has arrived in eastern Europe to take part in NATO exercises meant to reassure jittery allies and the deployment follows a spike in violence between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.

More than 100 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Royal 22e Regiment of Valcartier, Que., will conduct training in Poland and Romania — far from the eastern front lines — and are separate from a U.S-led training mission in western Ukraine.

Senior American officials have expressed "deep concern" about the number of ceasefire violations reported by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in breakaway regions of Ukraine.

The Canadian commander, Maj. Eric Beauchamp, says his troops don't necessarily feel the tension, but they get a clear sense eastern European soldiers are happy to see them.

"Even if we are a small detachment that is going to train with them, they appreciate this and they want the world to know we are there," he said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press. "Because of the tension, the effect we have here is really tangible and we see it."

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and his parliamentary secretary, Liberal MP John McKay, are in the region this week, meeting officials in Ukraine, Germany and Poland.

The trip is seen as a political reassurance mission on top of the military contribution.

In a conference call from Germany late Wednesday, Sajjan said that Russia's partial withdrawl from Syria will not mean a softening of Canadian policy — or sanctions imposed in the wake of the annexation of Crimea, which began two years ago Wednesday.

"Our support for Ukraine remains solid," he said. "I'm hopeful — as I mentioned to my counterparts in Ukraine — that Mr. Putin would make a similar statement about withdrawing troops from Ukraine."

The war in that part of the world has largely slipped from the headlines in many western countries, replaced by daily accounts of the conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

Russia's annexation of Crimea was followed a few months later by an uprising in two eastern Ukrainian districts, known as oblasts.

That set off a wave of sanctions from western governments and fears among eastern European countries that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions would not stop at the Ukraine border. Many of those countries are new members of NATO, who would demand help should their territory be violated.

Last year, the U.S.-based Pew Research Centre conducted an exhaustive public opinion study among the military alliance's member nations.

While many see Russia as a military threat, there is a general reluctance to send military aid to Ukraine. Even more significant, the study found at least half of Germans, French and Italians say their country should not use military force to defend a NATO ally attacked by Russia.

"Americans and Canadians are the only publics where more than half think their country should use military action if Russia attacks a fellow NATO member (56 per cent and 53 per cent respectively)," said the study published on June 10, 2015.

The report also said that NATO members were more receptive to sending economic, rather military aid to Ukraine.

Sajjan said the issue of sending lethal aid to Ukraine did not come up in his meetings with officials.

Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press

Joint-Task Force Ukraine gets New Commander

DND Press Release

Today, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Arsenault assumed command of Joint Task Force-Ukraine (JTF-U) from Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Guiney during a ceremony which took place at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine, as part of Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine.

As commander of JTF-U, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Arsenault commands approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel. JTF-U includes soldiers conducting training with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in areas such as Small Team training, Counter Improvised Explosive Device training, military police training and medical training.

First Ukrainian Company nears end of training cycle under CAF OP UNIFIER

DND Press Release: 

The last seven weeks have been leading up to the final set of exercises for the Ukrainian infantry company from the 30th Mechanized Battalion currently training under the mentorship of their Canadian Armed Forces partners.

After hours spent in classrooms and in the field, the Ukrainian trainees enter the final set of exercises meant to confirm all of the training that has been conducted under Op UNIFIER at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine.

CAF Members work along side members of the Ukrainian Military during a training exercise, part of OP UNIFIER. November 25, 2015. Photo: CAF Combat Camera

“The past two months have seen a real exchange of skills and ideas between Canadian and Ukrainian soldiers,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Guiney, Commander Joint Task Force Ukraine. “It is rewarding to see the first serial of training come to a successful end and I believe the soldiers that have undertaken this training will be better prepared for operations than they were eight weeks ago.”

These exercises are aimed at the platoon level and include both mechanized and dismounted live-fire ranges involving the Ukrainian Armed Forces Boevaya Mashina Pehoty-2 (BMP-2) Infantry Fighting Vehicles and a numerous of other weapon systems employed by them.

“The enthusiasm of the Ukrainians has been very high and they have developed a better understanding of how to employ their BMPs in platoon level operations. I believe they are better off now than before undertaking this training” said Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Guiney.

The instruction has been varied, continuous and has confirmed the value of the training package delivered by the CAF contingent. The training provided also included elements on weapons handling, first aid, artillery and mechanized infantry training.

“We started with basic gateway and refresher training,” said a Canadian infantry Sergeant who specializes in mechanized operations, “and as time moved on, we were able to incorporate mechanized and dismounted infantry tactics.”

While the final series of exercises is designed to confirm the skills learned by the Ukrainian soldiers, the CAF instructors are already scheduled to start training with a fresh Ukrainian infantry company.

The partnership between Canadians and Ukrainians continues to grow. The lessons and experiences learned over the past few months will be applied to the upcoming phase of training, as part of a multinational training effort, the Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine.

Operation UNIFIER is Canada’s contribution to support Ukrainian forces through capacity building, in coordination with the U.S. and other countries providing similar training assistance.