Ukraine Gets Major NASAMS Air Defense Boost From NATO Ally

Ukraine is set to receive the first NASAMS air defense system from Canada by the end of this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

In Monday’s post, Zelensky wrote that he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Ottawa’s continued support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The Prime Minister announced that Canada will be sending the first NASAMS air defense system it ordered for Ukraine. We expect to receive it by the end of this year,” said Zelensky.

Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian and Canadian foreign ministries for comment via email.

NASAMS, which have also been sent to Ukraine by the United States, are medium-range air defense systems designed to identify and destroy aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), typically used to protect civilians or assets.

The system was first developed in the 1990s by Kongsberg, a Norwegian defense and aerospace firm, in conjunction with the U.S. organization Raytheon.

Zelensky previously pushed the U.S. to obtain the air defense systems in 2022.

Since the war began, defense contractor Raytheon previously told Newsweek that it has had to significantly increase production, as requests for the air defense systems has more than doubled, mostly due to demand in Ukraine and Israel.

In his post, Zelensky also praised the “Release of Prisoners and Deported Persons” conference held in Montreal on October 30-31, which discussed the release of war prisoners and deported Ukrainians, according to the President of Ukraine’s website.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said, “We must find a solution for all groups held by Russia: civilians, prisoners of war and children.”

Zelensky also said the next step should be “preparing a final document—the Peace Plan—summarizing the results of all thematic conferences.”

The Ukrainian president went on to write that he and the Canadian prime minister discussed Trudeau’s support for his victory plan.

Zelensky said they also talked about the organization of the Second Peace Summit. The First Peace Summit was held in Switzerland in June. The date for the second has yet to be announced.

Canada said it has committed $4.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. This will allow Ottawa to provide Kyiv with aid through 2029. Canada has also provided operational support in training Ukrainian soldiers.

On October 18, Canada announced $64.8 million in military assistance for Ukraine, including for arms, ammunition and drones.