Police said Wednesday that hundreds of donated body armor intended for Ukraine to help protect those fighting the Russian invasion were stolen from a New York City non-profit office.
According to the New York Post, tactical vests donated by local law enforcement were taken from the building on Second Avenue, where two Ukrainian organizations are located, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.
The theft was discovered around 9 am on Wednesday. According to NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley, about 400 bulletproof vests were stolen.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office made a large donation of vests last week.
“It’s despicable that someone broke into the building to steal supplies and materials meant to help those affected by this humanitarian crisis,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Vicki DiStefano told WABC.
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CCTV footage shows three vans driving up to the building that houses the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women’s League.
Pictured: Surveillance footage from a nearby store shows another man and a van involved in an overnight robbery of approximately 400 bulletproof vests between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Several hooded men are then seen carrying boxes believed to contain vests and loading them into vehicles.
The few remaining tactical vests were destined for Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion. One of the suspects, on the right, exits the van, loading it with stolen vests.
Tactical vests donated by local law enforcement were taken from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, pictured
CCTV footage shows three vans driving up to the building that houses the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women’s League. Several hooded men are then seen carrying boxes believed to contain the vests and loading them into vehicles, WNBC-TV reported.
Police said the thieves probably entered through the front door.
The decommissioned bulletproof vests were sent to Ukraine, where they were supposed to help support Ukrainian forces in the fight against the ongoing Russian invasion.
The SCSO donated the vests, which had been in use for five years, but officials said they were still useful enough to provide protection in a war.
The plan was for the donated vests to be airlifted to Poland and then flown to Ukraine, Andriy Dobryansky, a UCCA spokesman, said last week.
They will be used by civilian security and medical teams rather than the military, officials said.
Police are investigating a door that was likely used to access tactical vests.
The vests pictured were used by the sheriff’s office and were retired after five years of use, however officials said they were still useful enough to provide protection in combat.
Pictured: Boxes of tactical body armor that were meant to aid Ukrainian military action against Russia before being stolen from Lower Manhattan earlier this week.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levin tweeted about an attempt to raise funds to replace stolen vests.
Dobriansky said the theft could not have happened at a worse time for Ukrainians, who already feel powerless against an invasion.
“People right now in our community are either praying in church or everyone feels disenfranchised. Now they have no power, and then this happens, and this absolutely concerns people,” Dobryansky said.
Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted about an attempt to raise funds to replace stolen vests.
“400 bulletproof vests that were supposed to be sent to Ukraine have just been stolen from a Ukrainian community center on the Lower East Side. Disgusting,” Levine wrote on Twitter.
“The NYPD is investigating. Let’s help @UkrCongComAm raise funds to replace them.”
Levine tweeted a link to Mighty Cause, which as of Thursday had already raised $544,515 to replace stolen vests.
As of Thursday, no arrests had been made.