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Ukraine is rolling out a lighter, form-fitting body armor for women after female soldiers said wearing men's clothes got in the way of their frontline fighting

Sep 15, 2023, 10:13 IST
Business Insider
A woman demonstrates specially designed body armor for army women during a presentation in Kyiv. Oleksii Chumachenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
  • Ukraine unveiled a new bulletproof suit that is specially designed for women.
  • The body armor is lighter than the men's version and is easier to take off.
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A Ukrainian manufacturer unveiled a new set of body armor that is specially made for female soldiers.

The manufacturer, Ukrainian Armour, demonstrated the bulletproof suit in Kyiv on Thursday, per the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda.

The company says the new suit is lighter than the men's version, fits better on the female body, and is easier to take off, per Ukrainska Pravda. The new armor will cost about $1,370, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

"Currently, about 5,000 female servicewomen are in a double-risk zone at the front because they do not have protection for women," Ukrainian Armour told Ukrainska Pravda.

"This poses a health risk to them, and psychologically, women do not feel protected. They are forced to wear men's bulletproof vests that do not fit snugly," the company added.

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The new body armor solves the chafing and discomfort that flat armor chest plates pose for women on the battlefield, per Ukrainian Armor.

"There is no anatomical curve in a man's bulletproof vest, so women have a chest opening, a large area of damage," Yan Honcharov, director of Ukrainian Armour, told Ukrainska Pravda.

The body armor has passed internal tests and will now undergo tests by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, per Ukrainska Pravda.

Last month, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said it approved a summer field uniform for female soldiers.

The then-defense minister Oleksii Reznikov hailed the move, saying Ukraine is a "trailblazer in meeting women's needs for comfort while carrying out their duties."

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A representative for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

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