Two men, Oleksandr from Kharkiv and Ihor from Uzhhorod, set up a workshop in a hangar near Uzhhorod, where they armor cars for the military and manufacture plates for bulletproof vests. Oleksandr lived in Saltivka residential neighborhood in Kharkiv with his family until February 24 and owned a successful business. Ihor worked for a construction company. They work in a hangar that belongs to Roberto from Italy. He used to manufacture coffee machines there, but with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he gave this place to guys so they could work.
The craftsmen help to modernize armored vehicles for special military units by attaching tow bars, systems for machine guns, etc. One of the main features of vehicle modernization is creating a protection system for assault maneuvers during the ‘clearing’ of de-occupied cities. After skillful modernization, the vehicle turns into an impenetrable machine that can move through the most difficult places.
It’s impossible to pass by the place where they work: the sound of the tools is so loud and echoes from the legendary mountain – Chorna Hora. The men work in the open air, with sparks from sawdust and welding flying around. Here they create protective plates for military bulletproof vests. One team cuts the metal strips of the required size, paying attention to the curves. Another team welds them together, and so on. Then the metal is wrapped in a special way to make it more comfortable to wear, to ‘absorb’ bullets, and prevent the formation of shrapnel. After that, the elements are ‘sewn’ into plates.
The craftsmen don’t count the number of plates they have made today. They work as long as there are materials to save as many lives as possible.
