Canada expands Russia sanctions, lowers oil price cap

OTTAWA, March 11, 2026 — Canada reaffirmed its support for Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, extending Operation UNIFIER by three years, committing C$2 billion in military assistance for fiscal 2026-27 and rolling out new sanctions targeting Russian individuals, entities and oil transport vessels.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s military training and capacity-building mission for Ukraine, will now run through 2029. The government said the renewed mandate will increase the number of Canadian Armed Forces personnel assigned to the mission, allowing Canada to adjust more quickly to Ukraine’s battlefield needs.

Ottawa also said it will donate more than 400 armored vehicles, including 66 Light Armoured Vehicle 6s and 383 Senator armored vehicles, as part of the new assistance package. Foreign Minister Anita Anand separately announced an additional C$20 million for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to help repair and rebuild energy infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes.

On sanctions, Canada said it will impose measures on 21 individuals, 53 entities and 100 vessels tied to Russia’s shadow fleet under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. The government also said it will lower its price cap for Russian crude oil from $47.60 to $44.10 per barrel, in a move aimed at squeezing Moscow’s energy revenues.

The measures are part of a broader Canadian effort to raise the economic cost of the war while sustaining Ukraine’s defenses. Canada said the latest restrictions also target financial enablers, including cryptocurrency infrastructure, as well as parts of Russia’s military supply chain linked to artificial intelligence and drone production.

Canada said it has committed more than C$25.5 billion in total aid to Ukraine since February 2022, including C$8.5 billion in military assistance. The government said Canadian forces have trained more than 47,000 members of Ukraine’s armed forces under Operation UNIFIER since 2015, including about 13,000 since the 2022 invasion.