Canada has given Ukraine the green light to use Canadian-donated tanks and armored vehicles within Russian territory, according to a statement from the Department of National Defense.
This decision extends to the ongoing Ukrainian military operations in Russia's Kursk region.
"Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we’re committed to supporting their capacity," said Andrée-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for the defense department, in a media statement.
She emphasized that Canada has placed no geographic restrictions on the use of the military equipment it has provided to Ukraine.
While it remains unclear whether any of the Canadian-donated equipment was involved in the recent Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, CNN footage on Thursday captured a Canadian-made Senator patrol vehicle crossing the Ukrainian border into Russia.
Canada's military aid to Ukraine has included eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armored combat support vehicles, hundreds of Roshel Senator armored patrol vehicles, and a few M-777 howitzers.
This stance mirrors that of Germany, which has also stated it does not oppose Ukraine's use of German-made weapons on Russian soil.
German Defense Ministry spokesman Arne Collatz clarified that once weapons are transferred to Ukraine, they become the property of Ukraine and can be used as Kyiv sees fit.
Collatz added that under international law, military operations on the territory of an aggressor country, such as Russia, are permissible to protect one's own state. As such, the Bundeswehr imposes no special conditions on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine.
