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OTTAWA – Canada has diverted a warship to help NATO reassure eastern European allies jittery over the Ukraine crisis.

The frigate HMCS Regina, currently taking part counter-terrorism and anti-piracy patrols in the Arabian Sea, will be redirected to take part in alliance operations meant to send a message of resolve to Russia.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the move in the House of Commons today, but did not say where the ship is headed.

NATO announced earlier this month it was beefing up maritime patrols in both the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean as part of a deterrence package aimed at containing potential Russian ambitions.

Six Canadian CF-18 jetfighters left their base in Bagotville, Que., on Tuesday, headed for an air base in Romania, and eventually patrols along that country’s border with Ukraine and possibly over the Black Sea.

National Defence also announced that a team of navy clearance divers would deploy next month for an exercise in Latvia, one of the Baltic states under threat.

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