Canada extends military training mission in Ukraine

KIEV, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Canada has decided to extend the Operation UNIFIER military training mission in Ukraine by another three years, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Monday, citing Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan.

During phone talks with Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Sajjan said that the decision is a signal of Canada's support for Ukraine, the ministry said.

"We will continue to send powerful messages to the world community to support your country on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration," Sajjan said.

Operation UNIFIER is the Canadian Armed Forces training mission in Ukraine through which Canada provides military training and capacity-building assistance for Ukrainian military forces.

The mission was due to expire on March 31 this year. Between September 2015 and March 1 this year, more than 10,800 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the framework of the Operation UNIFIER.