Berlin makes good on widely panned pledge of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine

The German government has delivered a shipment of 5,000 protective helmets it promised last month to the Ukrainian army, dpa sources said on Saturday.

The helmets were sent off in two lorries on Friday. So far, they are the only armaments the German government has committed to sending Ukraine in the crisis.

The delivery of weapons remains off the table for Berlin, even after the Russian attack on Thursday, as it has been government policy not to send arms to war zones.

A list of requested military equipment sent by the Ukrainian embassy has been under examination for weeks.

The helmets were among the items on the list. German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht called the shipment a "very clear signal" that Germany stands with the Ukraine.

However, Ukraine heavily criticized the German reluctance to send defensive weapons.

Other NATO states such as the US, Britain, and the Baltic states are supporting the Ukraine with such shipments.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, mocked the helmets as "just a drop in the bucket and "not even a consolation prize."