Ukraine has asked Canada to hand over 83 000 decommissioned CRV7 ground attack missiles

In an interview with Global News, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (also known as GUR) Kyrylo Budanov said that Ukraine has asked Canada to hand over tens of thousands of decommissioned CRV7 missiles, which are awaiting destruction at a military base in Saskatchewan.

According to him, this would help Ukraine fight off Russian troops and save Canadian taxpayers the cost of their destruction.

"We hope it will be a win-win situation," he noted.

More than 83 000 CRV7 surface-to-air missiles are currently stored at the Canadian Armed Forcesʼ ammunition depot in Dundurn, south of Saskatoon. Canada no longer needs them and has hired a private contractor to destroy them.

At the same time, they are necessary for Ukraine, since the supply of ammunition to the Defense Forces is decreasing.

Kyrylo Budanov says that the missiles will be used both in Ukrainian attack helicopters and in ground launchers to destroy Russian tanks and artillery.

Ukraine has discussed this issue with Canada, but is still waiting for a decision.

Canadian officials said they were considering the request, but warned that the CRV7s had been in storage for decades, making them less than safe to use and transport.

However, Ukraine has said that it is ready to take risks due to its predicament, as it has already learned how to work with old munitions such as the CRV7.

There are probably about 8 000 Canadian missiles in pristine condition, with some still equipped with warheads. Those missiles that are no longer operational will be stripped of their parts for use in Ukraineʼs drone program.

While Canada has used the CRV7 on aircraft such as the CF18, Budanov said Ukraine has ground-based launchers capable of firing them. Thus, the missiles are planned to be used as an equivalent of field artillery.