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The demand for buying bulletproof vests in Ukraine has increased several times since the Russian offensive began. Volunteers who’ve been helping the front since 2014 say the nightmare has happened again. We found out where bulletproof vests are made in Ukraine, what are their types and prices, and whether it is cheaper to buy abroad.
Who produces ammunition in Ukraine
When the full-scale war broke out in February, there were almost no military vests in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense, as the largest customer, actually stopped purchasing this type of equipment in 2019. Probably, this happened after opening a criminal case for the acquisition of a large batch of low-quality bulletproof vests. The chairman of the board of the Lviv Defense Cluster [hereinafter LOK – Ed.], Maksym Plekhov, says that the shelf life of bulletproof vests is about five years, so the state had only their remnants, which were already unusable.
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Previously, the mass production of the means of protection for the Ukrainian army was mainly executed by LLC «Temp 3000» (it was called a monopolist), LLC «Scientific and Production Enterprise «Materials Science» and the Kharkiv Plant of Personal Protective Equipment. After February 24, the latter partially relocated to Lviv, where together with almost 10 companies created the Lviv Defense Cluster and became one of the main manufacturers of bulletproof vests for the Ministry of Defense. More than one and a half thousand bulletproof vests for the Ukrainian military are made here every day – about 10% of the total volume provided by the state.
«When we started LOK’s activities, we pondered which bulletproof vests to make. There was virtually no access to ballistic materials, because few companies in the world manufacture them, and you need to make an order in advance. To make it fast and in large quantities, we managed to start the production of standard body armour of the 4th protection class, given that some of the usual materials for work were no longer available. As a basis, we took the model developed for the Special Operations Forces of Bulgaria and somewhat simplified it. Among ourselves, we call our armour «victory vests», – says Maksym Plekhov.
What are the types of body armour
There are two types of body armour: general military vests, consisting of a significant amount of debris-protection fabric and armour plates, and a plate carrier – more convenient and lighter, but not protective against small debris.
As the chairman of the Lviv Defense Cluster (LOK) board stated, according to Ukrainian standards, bulletproof vests are divided into six classes of protection, and for the current war, the 4th class, i.e. the standard general military, is quite suitable. In general, the 1st and 2nd classes protect against pistol bullets, the 3rd – against hunting ammunition, the 5th and 6th are specialized classes of protection against armour-piercing and incendiary cartridges.
A new bulletproof vest of the Armed Forces of Ukraine according to NATO standards, presented in 2021
In addition, each country has its own standards of production, but if it transfers bulletproof vests abroad, it must adhere to the generally accepted international classification NIJ. By the way, it has four classes and several subclasses. Here, NIJ-3 and NIJ-4 bulletproof vests protect against long-range weapons.
«We are faced with an interesting question: NIJ-3 armour plate with an American standard really can withstand a bullet 5.56 NATO. But the standard ammunition used today by both the Russian and Ukrainian armies (5.45*39 mm marked 10 by the GRAU index of the Russian Ministry of Defence) pierces such a plate. This cartridge has a penetrating ability of 10-15% higher. That means, if volunteers today buy and import NIJ-3 armour and say that it protects against the M16 and the Kalashnikov rifles, it is not true. According to our tests, such a plate is penetrated from 150 meters,» – explains Maksym Plekhov and advises buying NIJ-4 class body armour from the foreign suppliers, which is analogous to the Ukrainian 6th class.
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He notes that any armour plate supplied from abroad has additional features. The ICW-marked plate provides protection along with other ballistic protection. «Stand Alone» plates function independently, without the need for additional protection.
How to buy bulletproof vests
In addition to state-owned manufacturers who send armour directly to the front, some companies in Ukraine produce it for sale. Volunteers who work with them say that although few, but there are those who sew covers and make armour plates.
Taras Rudnytskyi, head of the «Ukrainian Charitable Initiatives» charity fund, which has been helping the army since 2014, notes that any bulletproof vests must be made of quality material.
«In Ukraine, the production of bulletproof vests, armour plates, perhaps, is not so well known. For example, they are produced in Kyiv, in Odesa. We cooperate with them. Any plates must be made of good certified material. I know that Swedish metal is used in Odesa and Kyiv plates. Accordingly, the characteristics of this metal must be tested and the tests of the plates with bullets of different calibers must be exercised. Simply put, the longer the stove can withstand different calibres, the better,» – says the volunteer.
Officially, the manufacturer must pass the appropriate certification in Ukraine. Armour plates themselves are made of several types of material. Body armour with metal plates is strong but heavy. Kevlar or ceramics are used as an alternative. Such armour is lighter, their strength is about the same as that of metal, but they are scarce, harder to process and a little more expensive.
According to Taras Rudnytsky, small manufacturers in Ukraine may not have certificates, and their testing may be questionable, although their bulletproof vests may be better than others. Just always check who, where and what you buy. As for buying abroad, he calls it «a separate volunteer’s art.» Intermediaries can be involved in the process, and there is not always a guarantee of product quality. In addition, it’s difficult for volunteers to «break through» with a small order to large suppliers/ manufacturers, they are often forced to form larger batches, which is not easy.
«People hope that if they take abroad, they will not be given anything inappropriate. But I wouldn’t be so sure. Both in Ukraine and abroad, you need to understand who you are working with – an individual or a legal entity, perhaps friends or acquaintances have already bought from them or used their goods. Here, the volunteer must be a psychologist. It is best to go to the manufacturer, which usually provides information about the «shooting» of body armour. It’s better to take one and check the running calibres, such as 5.45 high permeability and 7.62. In addition, it is desirable that the cartridges be manufactured after 1990, with a different breakthrough strength,» – says volunteer Taras Rudnytskyi.
That is, three factors are important when purchasing: manufacturer/reseller, technical characteristics of product quality and certification.
In addition to volunteers in Ukraine, our army is also actively assisted by citizens living abroad. Nazar Rozkvas, working in the Netherlands, says that after a full-scale invasion, he began looking for suppliers of bulletproof vests in Turkey, the Netherlands, Israel and Finland. It is difficult to transport such goods, so he passed the contacts of manufacturers or intermediaries to the official importer of the Ministry of Defense «Ukrspetsexport», through which the further purchase of protective equipment was exercised.
«There are different types of body armour. For example, the plate carriers are made of fabric with a certain glueing, so as not to chafe. Many people in Ukraine sew them. This is a quick option, but it’s not the bulletproof vest it should be. It does not protect, it is just an «armour-carrier», where a plate of about 30 – 20 cm is inserted. Other types of vests are really «armoured vests», they have a condensed polyethylene base, and it’s already possible to insert metal or ceramic plates there,» – says Nazar.
He advises not to work with intermediaries because of knowing from experience many cases of speculators among them. He recalls how during another conversation, Panamanian dealers offered him a 40% extra for their service. He says it was too much, especially if it’s Chinese-made, so it’s better to try to reach the manufacturer. There are also people who work with manufacturers to agree on exclusive rights to sell their products. These are the so-called intermediaries who act alone and make almost 10 dollars or euros per unit of goods.
According to Nazar, sometimes you have to work with intermediaries. There are «breakthroughs», with which you can negotiate a purchase quite easily and quickly. As for Ukrainian producers, Nazar Rozkvas, similarly to Taras Rudnytskyi, believes that they lack the opportunity to develop the market.
«Ukraine is trying to make bulletproof vests, but the problem is that there are not enough opportunities to promote them. Many people rushed to make armour plates. A bulletproof vest is easier to make than a helmet. Because the helmet should be light, while you can «glue» steel to the vest – and you’re done, just need to test and confirm it then. This is a slightly primitive option. Another variant is with an anti-ricochet coating. People like me don’t pay much attention to this type in Ukraine. I saw people cut out vests themselves and merely give it away. I don’t think that’s right,» – said Nazar Rozkvas.
How much do vests in Ukraine and abroad cost
The chairman of the board of the Lviv Defense Cluster says that the cost of bulletproof vests should be analogous to the price before February 2022. Previously, a standard bulletproof vest without any additional ballistic elements cost 6-7 thousand hryvnias. As for the «armour» from abroad, the same plate carrier with ceramic plates cost about $400. The price of a general military bulletproof vest, which already has ballistic armour and rigid armour plates, started at $500.
«Today, the cost has increased by at least 30-40%, and sometimes by 50%. If we talk about plate carrier, it consists of two main elements – plates of armored steel and the cover itself, sewed of materials. As for armour plates, before the war, a kilogram of metal cost 4-5 euros, and now it can reach 12. The production of one vest, taking the remains into account, requires almost 8 kilograms of metal, so the price can increase significantly, usually due to ballistic materials. The cost of fabrics also increased sharply at first, but then slightly decreased, because they are supplied from abroad. At present, it has increased by 10-15%, while in some cases, steel has risen by 300%,» – says Maksym Plekhov.
Both volunteers and Ukrainian manufacturers claim that it is cheaper to buy bulletproof vests in Ukraine, but there is no warehouse where the producers have tens of thousands of «armours». If you buy in other countries, suppliers prefer customers in large batches. Therefore, small orders are almost impossible to fulfil. Starting mass production without a standing order is also pointless. Maksym Plekhov advises applying to Ukrainian companies, but it’s necessary to conduct a technical examination.
Nazar Rozkvas, who helps supply military equipment from abroad, notes that sometimes the price is quite high or the cost of delivery can be half the total cost of the goods.
«The most expensive «armour» I’ve seen cost about 1,000 euros. Manufacturers’ distributors also offered 800 euros per set. It seems to have been made of polyethylene, anti-ricochet, in Turkey or Finnland. The average cost of a standard bulletproof vest was 500-600 euros. Now, for such money they sell plate carriers, which used to cost 300-400 euros,» – the man says.
How to check the strength against bullets
Manufacturing bulletproof vests is a licensed activity. Every bulletproof vest produced commercially must have the appropriate markings provided for in DSTU 87822018, says the chairman of the LOK, Maksym Plekhov. The manufacturer’s name, protection class, date of manufacture and batch number shall be indicated for identification. Before the war, a register of companies licensed to produce bulletproof vests was publicly available. Now, to find out if the product was actually delivered to a specific point, you can just call the manufacturer.
In addition, each body armour must be completed with a protocol of a shot in a certified laboratory or a certificate confirming the class of its protection. If you buy bulletproof vests without the appropriate package of documents, you do so at your own risk. According to Maksym Plekhov, checking a bulletproof vest in the field is problematic. The problem is that the bulletproof vest is often tested with the wrong types of bullets, which are required in accordance with the requirements of state standards.
«When someone says that he shot a bulletproof vest with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and it keeps the protection, it is worth paying attention to which machine gun was fired, AK-74 or AK-47, and what was the type of bullet. Because the 7H6 bullet is provided by the 3rd class, and the 7H10 bullet needs already the 4th. It is necessary to test only 7H10 bullets. The speed of the bullet is also important: the bigger it is, the higher its penetrating ability. The standard test is a shot of 910 +-15. If the speed was higher or lower, the shot is not counted,» – explains Maksym Plekhov.
When delivering a batch, two or three bulletproof vests are selected for shooting. Only after testing is the batch accepted or not accepted. Volunteers say there have been parties in which every second bulletproof vest has not withstood protection. So it is almost impossible to check this type of equipment without professional experience – you need to consult with specialists.
Yulia Osym, translated by Vitalii Holich
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