Saskatoon police send fifth shipment of body armour to Ukraine

Saskatoon police are helping supply a war overseas.

The Saskatoon Police Service said it recently sent a fifth shipment of body armour to Ukraine. The latest shipment consists of 44 sets of armour, and the police service said it “will provide valuable protection for the brave volunteers putting their lives on the line, as well as the innocent civilians caught in the fighting.”

The police force said it has sent a total of 171 pieces of body armour to Ukraine, along with “a small quantity of ballistic helmets.”

According to police, there’s no cost associated with the armour, as the vests and helmets sent to Ukraine were no longer being used by the police service and would otherwise simply be disposed of.

“Although the armour is still in a useable condition, it has been decommissioned by the SPS,” a spokesperson said in an email.

A social media post from the police service described the vests as “expired.”

The latest armour donation coincides with a visit to Canada by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and an announcement of $650 million in new federal aid to the war-torn European nation.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, prompting countries around the world to offer assistance. Residents of this province did their part in March of 2022, donating more than $1 million during a Rawlco Radio Saskatchewan Day of Caring for Ukraine.

The province also has opened its doors to people from the region, taking in five flights of displaced Ukrainians as well as others who made their way to Saskatchewan on their own.

Some Saskatchewan residents also have volunteered to fight with Ukrainian forces during the conflict.

— With files from The Canadian Press