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120 troops from 3rd Canadian Division deploy to Ukraine as part of Operation Unifier, at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. David Bloom / Postmedia

With the hum of the Airbus CC-150 engines in the background, 3rdCanadian Division commander Brig.-Gen.f Simon Hetherington reminded troops deploying to Ukraine on Friday of the importance of their training mission.

The 120 Edmonton-based soldiers will spend the next six months in the west of the country training Ukrainian soldiers in preparation for their fight against Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country as part of a conflict that has been raging since the middle of 2014.

What skills youve supplied them with will save their lives, Hetherington said just before the troops boarded the plane.

Brig.-Gen. Simon Hetherington speaks to 120 troops from 3rd Canadian Division as they prepare to deploy toUkraine as part of Operation Unifier, at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. Photo by David Bloom David Bloom / Postmedia

Around 2,600 Ukrainian troops have rotated through atraining program designed to professionalize the Ukrainian armed forces and enhance their capabilities across a wide spectrum of operations, including everything from weapons training to combat first aid and communications.

Hetherington said the mission is incredibly important.

Theyve got an armed forces that has been decimated over a number of years of neglect in terms of funding and age and time, so we are helping rebuild their armed forces, he said.

The challenge to this is they are rebuilding it while in combat in the east of the country.

Outbound deputy commanding officer Maj. Alex Nitu said the aim of the mission is to enable the Ukrainian military to become self-sufficient in delivering its own training programs.

Nitu said the mission is being well-received by the Ukrainian military.

The idea is we are going to work ourselves out of a job in all these things because they are going to become self-sufficient, he said.

(We are) building skill sets and professionalizing their force and getting to a point where they are institutionally capable of delivering all the training they require to themselves.

jgraney@postmedia.com

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A soldier from 3rd Canadian Division waits to leave forUkraine as part of Operation Unifier, at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. 120 soldiers from 3rd Canadian Division left for the Ukraine Friday. David Bloom / Postmedia

Soldiers from 3rd Canadian Division wait to deploy toUkraine as part of Operation Unifier, at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. David Bloom / Postmedia

Brig.-Gen. Simon Hetherington, right, shakes hands with 120 troops from 3rd Canadian Division at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. David Bloom / Postmedia

120 troops from 3rd Canadian Division deploy toUkraine as part of Operation Unifier, at the Edmonton International Airport Friday, March 3, 2017. David Bloom / Postmedia

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New wave of Edmonton-based troops deploy to Ukraine as forces battle pro-Russia separatists - Edmonton Journal