Ukraine's Defence Ministry approves first armoured vest for women – photo

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has approved the first armoured vest adapted to the specific structure of a woman's body. 

The sample was approved after a series of field tests, according to Ukraine's Defence Ministry. 

"Since women have narrower shoulders and a wider pelvis than men, it was uncomfortable for the servicemen to handle weapons in the 'male' version of the vest," says Oleksandr Sharko, Chief Specialist of the Central Department for Development and Support of Material Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The weight of body armour for women soldiers depends on the size and configuration and starts at 10.5 kilograms. It also has an outwardly curved armour plate.

Read also: A lighter, curved plate: first body armour for women showcased in Kyiv 

In other aspects, this element of protection does not differ from the general military body armour, the ministry notes. 

A sample vest developed by the domestic company Ukrainian Armour was approved after two stages of testing. 

After certification, the women's armoured vest became available for centralised procurement. In the Ministry of Defence, these processes are carried out by the State Logistics Operator agency.

Earlier, there were reports that volunteers were launching a tailoring project for women's military uniforms to suit their physiology.

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