CAF Members from the Quebec City Area Leave for the Ukraine

VALCARTIER, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Jan. 10, 2016) - An initial flight involving over 100 soldiers took off for the Ukraine earlier today from Jean-Lesage International Airport. Some 200 members, the majority from the Québec City area, will be leaving on two flights in order to take part in Operation UNIFIER.

These members, who will form Joint Task Force Ukraine (Rotation 1), will replace troops from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (Ont), who set the stage for this mission to Ukraine during Rotation 0 of Operation UNIFIER. Like their predecessors, they will offer support to develop the skills of Ukrainian soldiers, mainly in the areas of weapons handling, precision shooting, movement, communications, survival and ethics, in addition to training in explosive ordnance disposal.

Operation UNIFIER is Canada's contribution to supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the development of specific capabilities, in collaboration with the United States and other countries providing similar training assistance. Military assistance is one component of Canada's support to the Ukraine, which focuses on development, security, democracy and humanitarian aid.

Notes to editor/news director:

For reasons relating to the security of Operation UNIFIER, the date of the 2^nd flight of Canadian military personnel leaving for the Ukraine cannot be disclosed in advance.

Photos of the deployment of these troops from the Québec City area to the Ukraine are available in high resolution on the sites www.forcesimages.ca and www.flickr.com/photos/valcartier.

Note that for reasons of operational security only some members of the contingent will be able to be identified.

For further information on Operation UNIFIER, visit: www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad/op-unifier.page.