Canada plans to produce millions of drones over the next two years and send a third of them to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed allies for more support against Russia's invasion.
Ukraine is under mounting pressure from Russia's intensifying air campaign that uses ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to pierce defenses. Moscow's attacks have targeted Ukraine's power grid ahead of winter in what officials say is part of its campaign to demoralize civilians.
READ MORE: Russian drone strikes Ukraine security service headquarters as U.S. talks on the war are expected
Carney said Canada's armed forces currently have only about 2,000 drones but will need millions in the years ahead. He said contracts announced Thursday would increase the Canadian military's drone fleet tenfold.
"Importantly, one-third of all the drones we manufacture will go to support Ukraine's defense of its homeland," Carney said during Zelenskyy's three-day visit to Canada.
