Israel’s Defense Ministry began the transportation of equipment and supplies on Thursday to the Ukrainian Rescue Forces and to civilian organizations within the country.
The equipment is being transported from Ben Gurion International Airport to Europe, and from there will be shipped to Ukraine.
The shipment includes 1,500 helmets, 1,500 protective vests, hundreds of protective suits for mine clearance, 1,000 gas masks, and dozens of CBRN hazmat filtration systems, the ministry said.
Israeli Compassion Despite Ukrainian Rage
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychu announced at the start of this month that Kyiv is barring visits to Uman this year for the Jewish High Holy Days, a time in which tens of thousands of Israelis participate in a pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, in Uman.
Korniychu blamed the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine for the decision — but late last month, he told the Israeli Russian-language ‘Detaly’ news outlet that Ukraine would retaliate against Israel for its limits on Ukraine refugee entries by similarly restricting the number of Israelis it would allow to visit Uman this fall.
“We are now considering whether to suspend the visa-free regimen for Israelis in response,” he said. For now, he said at the time, “it will be imperceptible but by Rosh Hashana, the Israeli government will feel it.”
