To date, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have received hundreds of Novator armored vehicles, which are being actively used on the front line. Kyiv Post journalists collected feedback from soldiers about their experience with the vehicles.

According to Denys, a sergeant with one of the National Guard brigades, he has come under fire and an fpv drone attack while driving a Novator armored vehicle.

“There was a roadblock ahead of me, and a tank was working on it. You can see it flying 20-50 meters to the right and left, the debris hit the armor, but it performed well. The guys are only contused, it passes through the armor in a wave, but you remain unharmed. At night, when you are driving, you can see very well through the night vision device how the FPV is flying,” says Denys.

According to Oleksandr, an officer with one of the Defense Forces brigades, some of the Novator’s features have saved the lives of soldiers on numerous occasions: the armored vehicle has escaped from under fire even without tires.

“These wheels have run-flats. It is possible to safely leave the place of attack. Yes, there are pieces of the tire left, but with the help of runflats we can leave,” the soldier says.

“It is not a revolution to make an armored vehicle. But the advantage is a good customer review, and it is based on your service, your quality and reputation. We are constantly improving, adding and changing things based on our combat experience,” said Vladyslav Belbas, Director General of “Ukrainian Armor” LLC.

According to him, the Ukrainian Defense Forces currently need thousands of armored vehicles, but with advance contracting, domestic manufacturers can cover this need completely.