Ukraine faces growing threat as Russian ammunition penetrates standard body armour

A high-ranking source in Ukraine’s armed forces has told Danish broadcaster DR that Russian troops are increasingly using a new type of ammunition capable of piercing the body armour worn by Ukrainian soldiers—including the same standard-issue vests used by Danish and NATO forces.

In response, a Danish defence firm has developed reinforced armour plates to counter the threat, with 5,000 units now packed and ready for shipment to the front lines.

The Ukrainian military first approached **Scandic Defence**—which had previously supplied standard armour plates—after realising Russian forces were deploying the armour-piercing rounds. Over six to seven months, the company worked closely with Ukrainian officials to design a new plate resistant to the ammunition.

**”We were in constant dialogue with the Ukrainian military, receiving daily intelligence,”** said Martin Thisted Larsen, a partner at Scandic Defence. **”They shared all available data, which helped us understand exactly what we were dealing with.”**

While Larsen declined to specify exact figures, he confirmed the company has supplied around **50,000 plates**—enough to equip **25,000 soldiers**, as each vest requires two. **”It’s better than nothing, of course, but the need is far, far greater,”** he added.

The ammunition: A return to World War I tactics

The new Russian projectile is explicitly designed to **”penetrate elements of personal body armour,”** according to a 2023 patent filed with Russia’s Federal Institute of Industrial Property. Its core is made of **tungsten (wolfram)** instead of lead, allowing it to punch through armour rather than deforming on impact.

Peter Hald, a security specialist at Aarhus University and a reserve officer in the Danish Engineering Corps, explained that tungsten-cored rounds were first used in **World War I** to pierce tank armour. The practice declined as tanks improved, but the rise of modern body armour has revived the tactic.

**”When everyone wears armoured vests, you need armour-piercing rounds if you want to shoot through them,”** Hald said. While not a **”game-changer”** in the war, he stressed that frontline troops—both in Ukraine and NATO—should be equipped with the upgraded plates.

Demand surges as Russian use intensifies

Ukrainian forces initially estimated that **10–20% of Russian ammunition** used the new rounds, according to Scandic Defence. Recent reports suggest that figure has quadrupled, with **up to 70% of shots** now potentially armour-piercing.

Michael Mathiesen, chair of the **Rebuild Ukraine** organisation—which funded the latest shipment of 5,000 plates—confirmed the escalating demand. **”The need for these plates is massive and growing almost monthly,”** he said. **”We receive urgent requests from Ukrainian brigades saying, ‘Send more plates as fast as possible—we’re running out.’”**

For Ukrainian soldiers, the psychological impact is severe. **”If you know the enemy’s bullets can go straight through your vest, it changes everything,”** Mathiesen added.