Amid ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine and concerns about Russia鈥檚 military build-up along the border, Ottawa is set to deploy a Hercules transport plane loaded with military supplies to the troubled region, 麻豆影视 has learned.
The supplies will not include ammunition, but equipment to support Ukrainian troops on the ground. The deployment on Thursday is expected to be the first in a series of flights.
News of the military shipment comes as Canada announced additional sanctions and travel bans against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and groups.
鈥淭he Putin regime鈥檚 continued illegal occupation of Ukraine鈥檚 Crimean peninsula and its provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine remains a grave concern to Canada and the international community,鈥� Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement Wednesday.
The individuals added to the sanctions list include a Russian security service commander, the CEO of the Bank of Russia, business figures and members of Russia鈥檚 security council. Also on the list is Sergey Abisov, a minister in the newly annexed Republic of Crimea.
National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said Ottawa is targeting people who are raising funds to 鈥渟upport the illegal activity that鈥檚 taking place鈥� and are involved in the political process related to the crisis in Ukraine.
The entities affected by the new sanctions include the Bank of Moscow, the Russian National Commercial Bank and a distillery plant in Crimea.
鈥淭his is part of our ongoing efforts to put pressure on the Putin regime to stop their illegal occupation of Ukraine,鈥� Nicholson told 麻豆影视 Channel Wednesday.
He said Canada is working 鈥渋n close concert鈥� with the U.S. and the European Union, which have imposed their own sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered restrictions Wednesday on food and agriculture imports from countries that have imposed sanctions on his country. The decree signed by Putin doesn鈥檛 name specific countries, but says imports will be banned or limited for one year.
Intense fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with air strikes and artillery fire reported Wednesday in and around the city of Donetsk.
The violence prompted a warning from the Polish prime minister Wednesday, who said the threat of a 鈥渄irect intervention鈥� in Ukraine by Russia is now greater than in recent weeks.
Concerns over possible Russian invasion
In a statement to CTV, NATO warned that as the death toll rises on both sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin could find a convenient excuse to invade.
鈥淩ussia could use the pretext of a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission as an excuse to send troops into Eastern Ukraine,鈥� said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu.
U.S. President Barack Obama isn鈥檛 ruling out diplomatic efforts, but told reporters Wednesday that if there is an invasion by Russia, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 obviously a different set of questions. We鈥檙e not there yet.鈥�
In an editorial to the Financial Times Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned against Putin鈥檚 behaviour, and called on allies to pull their weight against Russia in advance of a meeting next month.
Rasmussen is set to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Thursday in Kyiv. He has no plans to travel to Russia.
Despite continued chaos in the region, Nicholson said he believes that Canadian and international sanctions will make a difference.
鈥淲e are confident that the continuous pressure we are applying to the Putin regime will succeed,鈥� he said.
With files from The Associated Press
Expanded sanctions list:
Individuals (Russian)
- Sergei Orestovoch Beseda, Commander of the Fifth Service of the Russian Federal Security Service and Commander of the Service for Operational Information and International Communications of the Russian Federal Security Service.
- Aleksandr Vasilievich Bortnikov, permanent member of the Russian Federation鈥檚 Security Council and Director of the Russian Federal Security Service.
- Mikhail Vladimirovich Degtyarev, member of the State Duma.
- Mikhail Efimovich Fradkov, permanent member of the Russian Federation鈥檚 Security Council and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
- Boris Vyacheslavovich Gryzlov, permanent member of the Russian Federation鈥檚 Security Council.
- Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov, President of the Republic of Chechnya.
- Vladimir Georgyevich Kulishov, First Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Security Service, Chief of the Border Guards.
- Konstantin Valerevich Malofeev, Russian business figure and financier of secessionist groups in Ukraine.
- Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliev, permanent member and Deputy Secretary of the Russian Federation鈥檚 Security Council.
- Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev, permanent member and Secretary of the Russian Federation鈥檚 Security Council.
- Nikolay Terentievich Shamalov, CEO and majority shareholder of Bank Rossiya.
- Igor Shchegolev, aide to the President of the Russian Federation and the former Minister of Communications and Mass Media.
- Alexander Nikolayevich Tkachyov, Governor of Krasnodar Krai.
- Valerii Yuriovych Travkin, officer in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Individuals (Ukrainian)
- Sergey Abisov, 鈥淢inister of Interior鈥� of the 鈥淩epublic of Crimea.鈥�
- Pavel Yurevich Gubarev, one of the self-described leaders of the so called 鈥淒onetsk People鈥檚 Republic.鈥�
- Ekaterina Yurevna Gubareva, so called 鈥淢inister of Foreign Affairs鈥� of the 鈥淒onetsk People鈥檚 Republic.鈥�
- Boris Litvinov, Chairman of the 鈥淪upreme Council鈥� of the so called 鈥淒onetsk People鈥檚 Republic.鈥�
- Oksana Tchigrina, spokesperson of the so called 鈥済overnment鈥� of the 鈥滾uhansk People鈥檚 Republic.鈥�
Entities (Russian)
- Bank of Moscow
- Dobrolet (Dobrolyot) Airlines
- Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank)
- Russian National Commercial Bank
- United Shipbuilding Corporation
- VTB Bank OAO (former Vneshtorgbank)
Entities (Ukrainian)
- 鈥淎rmy of the Southeast鈥�
- 鈥淐rimean enterprise 鈥楢zov distillery plant鈥欌��
- 鈥淒onbass People鈥檚 Militia鈥�
- 鈥淔ederal State of Novorossiya鈥�
- 鈥淚nternational Union of Public Associations 鈥楪reat Don Army鈥欌��
- 鈥淟uhansk Guard鈥�
- 鈥淩esort 鈥楴izhnyaya Oreanda鈥欌��
- 鈥沦辞产辞濒
- 鈥淪tate concern 鈥楴ational Association of producers Massandra鈥�
- 鈥淪tate enterprise 鈥楩actory of sparkling wine Novy Svet鈥欌��
- 鈥淪tate enterprise 鈥楰erch commercial seaport鈥欌��
- 鈥淪tate enterprise 鈥楳agarach of the national institute of wine鈥�
- 鈥淪tate enterprise 鈥楽evastopol commercial seaport鈥欌��
- 鈥淪tate enterprise 鈥楿niversal-Avia鈥欌��
- 鈥淪tate ferry enterprise 鈥楰erch Ferry鈥欌��
- 鈥淰ostok battalion鈥�
