Arguing that saving even just one life is worth it, the Polis administration said Colorado is sending hundreds of ballistic helmets and scores of body armor to Ukraine, which is ferociously fighting the Russian invasion.

The Polis administration said the Colorado Department of Public Safety alone is donating more than 750 helmets and 80 sets of body armor to the Eastern European nation that’s fighting for its survival against the vastly bigger, more-equipped Russian army. These are surplus equipment that have exceeded the state’s standard life-cycle but which are serviceable, the administration said. 

“Colorado is doing everything we can to oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and supplying body armor will help save lives of brave Ukrainians fighting to protect their freedom. We have surplus body armor sitting on shelves, and we know that it can urgently be used to help stop Putin and save Ukraine,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

The Polis administration also asked other law enforcement agencies to donate their surplus body armor and ballistic helmets by 3 p.m. Monday. The administration is only accepting donations from law enforcement agencies and not the general public to ensure the armor and helmets meet safety standards.

“If even one life of a citizen soldier who is defending their country is saved, then this time-sensitive effort will have been worth it,” Stan Hilkey, the state’s public safety executive director, said in a statement.

“The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is proud to participate in the State of Colorado’s efforts to help the people of Ukraine,” added Laura Clellan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. 

Polis’s office said Colorado will work with “partners” to quickly deliver the materials overseas. A spokesman for the administration said details of the delivery are still being finalized.

“We stand with a free and independent Ukraine and want to do everything we can to make [Russian President Vladimir] Putin pay for this act of aggression,” Polis told Colorado Politics this afternoon.

Polis earlier asked state agencies and higher education institutions to divest from Russian-owned assets. The administration also pulled out its Colorado office from the Russian consulate in Houston. Polis also promised a warm welcome to Ukrainian refugees, should they arrive in Colorado.