Russia’s foreign ministry on Wednesday harshly criticized Ottawa’s drone production deal with Ukraine, calling Canada a “warmonger” nation and vowing “an appropriate response.”
The ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a press briefing in Moscow that the deal, which will see Canadian-made drones head to the battlefield in Ukraine, amounts to a “significant” escalation in Canada’s involvement in the war with Russia.
“All pretense has been cast aside,” Zakharova said in Russian, according to a translated transcript.
“The full base nature of a state far from being peace-loving has been revealed, but rather a warmonger, seeking by any means necessary to further fuel this bloody conflict. We reserve the right to provide an appropriate response.”
Zakharova said Russia would account for the Canada-Ukraine drone deal in its military and political planning, and vowed to publish the addresses of all Canadian production facilities participating in the drone deal.
Global News has reached out to Global Affairs Canada for a response to Russia’s comments.
The Department of National Defence says that under the deal, the drones will be made by the Ukrainian company Airlogix and Canadian drone maker Sentinel R&D, which is based out of Hamilton, Ont.
Both companies will make drone systems in Canada bound for Ukraine’s military under the joint venture.
“Canada is proud to deepen its defence partnership with Ukraine through this new project arrangement,” Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a statement when the deal was signed late last month.
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“This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting Ukraine while driving economic growth and resilience here at home.”
Canada and Ukraine signed a letter of intent last fall to co-produce defence technology in both countries.
Zakharova on Wednesday cited Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech this year at the World Economic Forum, where he warned “middle powers” like Canada must band together to negotiate fair deals with larger global powers or risk being “on the menu.”
“As we can see, the state, which fears, as its prime minister put it, being ‘on the menu,’ clearly has no intention of lagging behind in the development and production of this relatively inexpensive yet highly effective 21st-century weapon of murder,” she said.
Ukraine has significantly improved its drone technology and production capabilities and have been using the unmanned devices to strike deeper into Russian territory, with attacks now occurring daily.
Overnight drone strikes on energy and military sites in Russia cut off fuel supplies for Russian-controlled Crimea, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Zakharova said these drones have been used to “destroy children, civilians, schools, hospitals, maternity wards, and to attack rescuers, firefighters, and medics trying to help the wounded.”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to strengthen Russia’s air defences after Ukrainian drone attacks struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also hit a nearby naval base, casting a cloud over a showcase economic forum in the city.
The attacks on St. Petersburg came weeks after Putin pruned back an annual Victory Day parade in Moscow because of fears of Ukrainian drones striking the event.
Russia has responded to Ukraine’s attacks by escalating its own missile and drone barrages, including multiple strikes on the capital Kyiv after the Kremlin warned foreign diplomats to leave the city last month.
Moscow has also increased drone production for its war on Ukraine and has contracted Iranian drone technology into its fleet.
Russian dissidents have told Global News that Russia’s war on Ukraine is “backfiring” on Putin, who is facing growing unrest and economic strain at home along with military pressure from Ukraine’s drone attacks.
“Unfortunately, Russia is trying to make up for its enormous battlefield losses with strikes on our cities and communities, and on civilian infrastructure,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Estonia while meeting with European leaders Tuesday.
Zelenskyy has been seeking similar drone production deals with its allies in NATO and the G20, which Ukrainian officials have said will include co-production and technology sharing agreements.
—With files from the Canadian Press, the Associated Press and Reuters
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