© Reuters. An employee works on the Senator APC at vehicle manufacturer Roshel after Canada’s defense minister announced the supply of 200 Senator armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, as part of a new military assistance package, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
By Kyaw Soe Oo
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (Reuters) – A Canadian company that supplies battle-ready armored vehicles to Ukraine plans to deliver the 200 vehicles promised by Ottawa to Kyiv before the summer, the firm’s chief executive Roman Shimonov said on Thursday.
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand visited Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with Ukrainian officials and announced the supply of 200 Senator armored personnel carriers to Ukraine as part of her latest military assistance package.
Ontario-based Roshel Inc makes armored vehicles for government and commercial organizations, including the US Department of State and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Its Roshel Senator armored personnel carrier, built on the chassis of a Ford Motor (NYSE:) Co F-550 full-size pickup truck with ballistic steel and equipped with mine protection seats and other security features, has been used by Ukrainian soldiers in their defense against the Russians. invasion that began last February.
“Ukraine right now is in a full-scale war… and they need to have a way to transport their personnel safely, and our vehicle gives them this solution,” Shimonov said.
The Senators can be used as a medical evacuation vehicle or as a tactical combat vehicle, he said.
The company has established a “sophisticated” secure supply chain and has been shipping some armored vehicles every day, Shimonov said in an interview at the Roshel assembly plant in Mississauga.
Canada has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in aid, including more than C$1 billion in military supplies. Shimonov declined to share details, but said Ottawa’s order for 200 armored vehicles for Ukraine is expected to be delivered in the summer.
