Ukrainian air defense capabilities have been bolstered by the delivery of a surface-to-air missile system from NATO member Canada.
On Friday, Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) announced that a donation of a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) had arrived in the Eastern European country.
The short-to-medium ground-based air-defense system protects against drone, missile, and aircraft attacks with "a high success rate," according to Canada's defense department.
The department said the donation will help Ukraine strengthen its air-defense systems against attacks on military sites, civilian infrastructure, and population centers.
The system's donation, valued at approximately $406 million, comes from the $500 million in military aid to Ukraine announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2022.
"In addition to Operation UNIFIER, Canada's current training mission to Ukraine, this donation builds on previous deliveries of armored vehicles, artillery, drone cameras, winter clothing, and ongoing efforts by the Royal Canadian Air Force to transport Ukraine-bound military aid donated by Canada, Allies, and partners," read an official release from the DND.
Since February 2022, Canadian Armed Forces have also donated over 300 air defense missiles to Ukraine.
"This ground-based air defense system will help Ukraine protect itself against destructive air attacks," said Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair.
"Canada's support for Ukraine is steadfast and we will continue to step up and build on our contributions to Ukraine in their fight against Russia's invasion.
"We thank the United States, as well as our partners in Norway, for their collaboration and ensuring the safe arrival of Canada's donation of this NASAMS to the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment on Saturday via email.
The system's arrival followed intensifying attacks from Russia against Ukraine this week.
On Tuesday, Moscow launched a hypersonic missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, hitting a military facility.
The assault utilized the experimental Oreshnik hypersonic missile—an intermediate-range missile reportedly capable of being fitted with either nuclear or conventional warheads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that the strike came as a response to Ukraine's use of U.S. and British long-range missiles which allow Ukraine to strike targets within Russia.
"No one in the world has such weapons," he said.
The Russian president claimed the missile was so powerful that several fitted with conventional warheads in a single attack could result in a strike as powerful as one with nuclear weapons.
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