The Canadian government has seized a large Russian cargo aircraft and agreed to provide a $500 million package of military support to Ukraine, which includes contributing to maintaining their future Lockheed Martin F-16s, training their fighter pilots and donating 288 AIM-7 missiles. 

The seizure and aid package was announced June 10 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal. 

The Canadian government is seizing a Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 airlifter that has been seen parked at Toronto Pearson International Airport since Feb. 27, 2022. The charter freighter had arrived in Toronto a few days before to deliver COVID-19 tests, but the shipment coincided with the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine. 

In June 2022, Canadian government officials amended a law that allows the seizure of sanctioned Russian assets, including the An-124. If a forfeiture process is completed, Trudeau’s government will work with Ukrainian officials to decide how to use the asset as compensation for the Russian invasion. 

“We send out this message—Canada will stand by the people of Ukraine with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes,” Trudeau said in Kyiv.

The military aid package also confirms a Canadian military role in a broad international effort to equip the Ukrainian air force with used F-16s. 

“Canada will contribute to multinational efforts to train pilots, and maintain and support Ukraine’s F-16s, leveraging Canadian expertise in these areas,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement. 

Canada does not operate F-16s but manages a NATO training site at the Cold Lake air base in Alberta. The site often hosts F-16s operated by other NATO air forces who come to the base to participate in training and exercises. 

The package also includes the donation to Ukraine of 288 Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. These semi-active, radar-homing, air-to-air missiles “will be repurposed in the United States for use in air defense systems, which will support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its skies,” the government said. 

The U.S. government has previously announced that a different version of the AIM-7 has been integrated on Ukraine’s Buk systems, which are mobile launchers for surface-to-air missiles. 

Trudeau announced that he has extended until 2026 Operation Unifier, an effort that has trained 36,000 Ukrainian troops since 2015.