Metinvest launches production of protective screens for MT-LB

Metinvest Group, as part of its Steel Front military initiative, has launched the production of protective screens for Soviet MT-LB multipurpose tractors. These tracked vehicles are actively used at the frontline, in particular for evacuation and transportation of personnel, but due to their weak armor, they often fall victim to FPV drone attacks.

To increase their survivability, Metinvest engineers, in cooperation with military crews, developed special steel grilles that are mounted on the vehicle body. They are designed to intercept the blast wave before it comes into contact with the main armor, which gives the crew and the vehicle itself a chance to survive. The designs are adapted to combat conditions: they are easy to install, do not obstruct the view and do not limit the mobility of the equipment.

So far, 11 updated MT-LBs have returned to their units. Two of them serve in the 110th Brigade of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, where they are used for evacuation. According to the brigade’s spokesman Andriy Bystryk, the protected tracked vehicles are particularly effective in off-road conditions, and protection against drones is critical on the modern battlefield.

“These screens are not universal armor, but they are a chance to survive, deliver ammunition or evacuate the wounded,” said Olexander Myronenko, Metinvest’s Chief Operating Officer.

Previously, the company has produced armor for Abrams, Bradley, Roshel and Kozak vehicles. Now MT-LB has been added to this list, which is another step in strengthening the defense of the Ukrainian military.

Over the three years of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest has allocated more than UAH 8.4 billion to support Ukraine. A significant portion of these funds, UAH 4.4 billion, was donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of the Steel Front initiative.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Metinvest has already produced more than 200 buggies for Ukraine’s defenders. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine recently received another batch of vehicles. The vehicles were assembled as part of the cooperation between the Southern Operational Command and the Buggy for the Armed Forces of Ukraine public initiative.