Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to the Ukrainian army for use in its ongoing defense against the Russians.

This 155 mm caliber ammunition is being donated, along with fuzes and propellant bags, but it comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.

The artillery is sourced from the United States, and the funding comes from $500 million allocated in the 2022 federal budget.

The shells can be used by artillery, including the M777 howitzers that Canada has already sent, which the Department of National Defence says the Canadian Armed Forces have trained the Ukrainian forces to use.

Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Tuesday at a Ukrainian cultural center in Victoria and said this additional military aid shipment "will be critical in Ukraine’s current battle to defend its eastern territories," and that "work is already underway to get this aid to Ukraine as soon as possible."

The Defence Minister added that the NATO-standard artillery shipment came as a direct request from Ukraine to its allies.

This is the latest round of military assistance Canada has provided to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, with the federal government pledging that as long as the war continues, Canada will continue to provide support.