A batch of eighty bullet-proof vests was delivered on July 12 to soldiers of the 280th tank regiment of the Kyiv command at their military base in Chernihiv Oblast, not far from the Belarusian border.
Money for the
equipment was donated by Kyiv-based municipal company Zhitloinvestbud, whose
147 employers each signed off 50 percent of their June salary for the cause. A
total of almost Hr 250,000 ($21,000) was collected from the donations,
enough to purchase 145 bulletproof vests.
The
delivery came a day before the unit departed to join the government’s
anti-terrorist operation against pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine’s east.
Zhitloinvestbud’s
action was organized with the help of “Support the Ukrainian Army,” a charity
fund which has been gathering money for the military since March. Co-founder
Katerina Zhekova said she hopes other companies will follow Zhitloinvestbud’s
example.
“A lot of people
want to and are ready to help the army but don’t know what steps to take, or
simply need a push,” she said.
General
Stepantsov of the 280th tank regiment expressed gratitude to Zhitloinvestbud’s
employees for the help. But he added that over 1000 vests were still needed to
cover the needs of forces currently fighting in conflict zones in Donetsk and
Luhansk oblasts.
The vests
are all of high quality. Each weighs nine kilograms, half of which comes from a
thick metal plate that slides into a large pocket on the front side and
provides protection from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from
explosions.
In a press
release by Zhitloinvestbud announcing its initiative, spokesman Svitlana Gupalo
elaborated on the motivation behind the decision to aid the army in its fight
for Ukrainian unity.
“Most of
our employees are women, and they wanted to give the soldiers just one message:
come back alive and healthy. And we will be waiting for you,” she said.
