The office of Defense Minister Benny Gantz issued a statement April 20 saying he had spoken on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksiy Reznikov, informing him that "in light of the request of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, he (Gantz) approved the purchase of protective equipment of helmets and vests, which will be transferred to the Ukrainian rescue forces and civilian organizations." The statement added that the equipment is already in the process of being purchased. "This is part of Israel's extensive humanitarian efforts, including the establishment of a field hospital, the absorption of immigrants and refugees, the provision of food and humanitarian and medical assistance, and more."

Interestingly, the statement also said the two ministers discussed world efforts, and Israeli efforts led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, to bring an end to the war, emphasizing that Israel stands beside the Ukrainian citizens.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly asked Israel for helmets, flak jackets and other defensive equipment, requests that Israel has constantly refused so as not to anger Russia. Israel values its ties with Russia, especially on the backdrop of the Russian military presence in Syria and the Vienna talks with Iran for a possible new nuclear deal.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk expressed March 7 his frustration over the Israeli position. Speaking with the press, the ambassador put a helmet on his head and rhetorically asked how such defensive equipment could be considered lethal. “Please tell me, how can you kill with this [helmet]? Impossible. So I don’t know what these people are afraid of. Giving [a device for] personal safety to Ukrainians … that’s the simplest thing they can do.”