General Wayne Eyre, Canada’s chief of defense staff, appeared on Power & Politics on Monday following reports from Global News and The New York Times that members of the Canadian Forces special operations forces are training Ukrainians during Russia’s ongoing invasion . But when asked about the reports, Eyre said the military was “never going to talk about discretionary or sensitive special operations or confirm or deny them.” He called the media reports “disappointing” and speculative. “If it were true, it would put our troops at risk. And why would anyone deliberately want to put Canadian troops at risk?” Eyre said. WATCHES | Eyre says media speculation fuels Russian disinformation:
General Eyre refuses to say whether Canadian troops are operating in Ukraine
Chief of the Defense Staff General Wayne Eyre refuses to confirm reports that Canadian special forces are on the ground operating in Ukraine in a training capacity: “We’re never going to talk about discreet or sensitive special operations.” Host Vassy Kapelos asked whether or not it is problematic for Canadians not to have an accurate portrayal of the country’s involvement in a war. “The other aspect to think about is the speculation in the media that is fueling the Russian disinformation as well,” Eyre said. “We see, as the nature of warfare evolves … disinformation becomes a weapon in itself. So we just have to be very, very aware of that aspect as well.” “Does that mean that if Canadian soldiers are on the ground in Ukraine at any point during this conflict, Canadians won’t know about it?” asked the Hat. “Each situation will be different,” Eyre replied. “You’re balancing transparency with operational security and trying to find that sweet spot in the middle.” Last week, Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada would commit a group of soldiers to the British Army’s program to turn Ukrainian civilians into combat troops. This training will take place in the UK The plan amounts to the restart of Operation Unifier, the long-running training mission that had — until it was suspended last winter — more than 33,000 Ukrainian soldiers receiving advanced combat training from Canadian soldiers. That mission, conducted on Ukrainian soil, was halted and troops withdrawn from the eastern European country in mid-February, on the eve of a full-scale Russian invasion. The new iteration includes up to 225 people, the majority of whom will work as trainers, supported by a command and control element, Anand said. Initial development is expected to be four months. “Training is something we’ve done very, very well and it’s proven to be of great value to our Ukrainian friends, starting with the launch of Operation Unifier,” Eyre said Monday. “That’s something we want to continue.”
