Ireland sends body armour and 5,000 ready-to-eat meals to Ukrainian army
- Ireland, while military neutral, has committed itself to providing non-lethal aid to Ukrainian forces battling the Russian invasion
- Ireland’s Department of Defence confirmed that the equipment and food had already been shipped and will soon arrive at a Polish logistics hub
Ireland has sent 5,000 ready-to-eat meals and 200 units of body armour to Ukraine, as the war against Russia continues.
The country, while military neutral, has committed itself to providing non-lethal aid to Ukrainian forces battling the Russian invasion.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, alongside a host of senior Irish ministers, have repeatedly stressed that Ireland is not politically neutral in the conflict.
The move was confirmed on Monday by Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, who said that the 10 tons of ready-to-eat meals and the body armour was coming from Irish Defence Forces stocks.
Appearing at an Oireachtas committee last week, Coveney had indicated that the government was preparing to send spare equipment to the war-torn country.
The Department of Defence confirmed that the equipment and food had already been shipped and will soon arrive at a Polish logistics hub.
In a statement, Coveney said: “This contribution is a specific element of the Government’s approximately €11 million (US$12 million) contribution through the European Peace Facility and the further 20 million euros in humanitarian assistance.