Ukrainian govt equates helmets, bulletproof vests, sights with humanitarian aid - decree

KYIV. March 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The Ukrainian government has adopted a decree putting helmets and bulletproof vests on a par with humanitarian aid and aligning the procedure for their import to the customs territory of Ukraine with the rules for importing humanitarian aid.

The government's decree dated March 26, which amends decree dated March 1 is available on the website of the Ukrainian government.

The lists of goods equated with humanitarian aid include portable radio stations, quadcopters, binoculars, monocles and other optical tubes, magnifiers, collimator and optical sights for non-civilian uses, plates for bulletproof vests, thermal sights, and night vision devices.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk earlier announced the adoption of the government's decree, under which, as in the event of the import of any other humanitarian aid, it will be sufficient only to fill out the relevant declaration at a customs point in order to bring helmets and bulletproof vests into Ukraine.

"There will be no red tape - only the declarative principle: one needs only to fill out a declaration at a customs point and then bring in helmets and bulletproof vests," Vereshchuk said.