Canadian ship departs Halifax with stern message for Putin
HALIFAX— A Canadian frigate departed Halifax Tuesday to replace a sister ship that is part of a NATO maritime force aiming to reassure eastern European allies that are worried about the crisis in Ukraine.
HMCS Fredericton, which has recently been upgraded to better track and target aircraft, will take over from HMCS Toronto in the operations in the Mediterranean Sea. It departed with a crew of about 250 people and a CH-124 Sea King helicopter and air attachment on board.
Toronto has been in the area since August. Fredericton is expected to deploy for a similar six-month period after the ships meet up in Spain.
Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said the ship is being dispatched as part of a broader Canadian message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ottawa disapproves of his government’s involvement in Ukraine.
“Whether it be with the deployment of this ship, with the deployment of our air force and the soldiers we have had on the ground, we are absolutely committed to sending out the message that what Putin has done is unacceptable,” the minister said after the departure ceremonies.
Four CF-18s were deployed last fall as part of NATO’s mission in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support of pro-Moscow backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Nicholson has recently said Canada is searching for bilateral ways to expand military training with the embattled country. Canada has already donated quantities of non-lethal military equipment to the government in Kyiv.