Budanov calls on Canada to transfer missiles written off for disposal to Ukraine

Ukraine hopes that Canada will transfer CRV7 missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, tens of thousands of which are subject to disposal.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov Kyrylo Budanov said this in an interview with Global News, Ukrinform reported.

According to him, this will help Ukraine stop Russian troops. In addition, this step will save Canadian taxpayers the money needed to dispose of the missiles. "We hope that both sides will benefit from this situation," Budanov said.

Lt. Gen. Budanov said the CRV7s would be used both in Ukrainian attack helicopters and ground launchers to target Russian tanks and artillery.

Ukraine has been discussing the issue with Canada but is still awaiting a decision, he said.

Read also: Canada may donate decommissioned CRV7 rockets to Ukraine

Canadian officials said they were looking into the request, but cautioned the CRV7s are decades old and could have become unstable, rendering them dangerous to handle and transport.

The Ukrainians argue they are in a dire predicament and are willing to assume the risks. They said they are accustomed to handling older munitions like the CRV7s.

As noted, experts interviewed by the publication confirmed the potential instability of the old missiles. "But since the CRV7s use a solid fuel, they may still be safe, provided they had been stored properly and not exposed to moisture or contamination", Global News assures. 

Read also: Ukraine, Canada create intl coalition to return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia

As a reminder, the Canadian Armed Forces have 83,303 CRV7 missiles in service, which were developed in the 1980s and decommissioned in the early 2000s. Three years ago, the government signed a contract to dispose of them over several years. Canada's Department of National Defense has said that they are considering these missiles as part of a possible future military assistance package, but not all missiles have warheads.