Ukrainian textiles factory turns into military outfitter to aid war effort

Lviv, Ukraine -

A textiles workshop in Ukraine has transformed into a wartime factory to produce military vests for those fighting on the front lines of Russia’s invasion.

Before the invasion, Olesa Kovtyk, who is co-ordinating the new effort, said the workshop produced linens for restaurants, outfits for cleaning staff and pillows for hotels. Now, volunteers produce jackets for military members.

“We are doing it from the beginning of war, and it’s absolutely different kind of stuff,” she told CTV National News.

The workshop expanded to about 10 sewing machines and the volunteers are capable of producing about 30 vests a day, which volunteers then deliver to those fighting.

“We have a lot of orders for it, so we have to have a lot of sewing machines to make it fast,” Kovtyk said.

“It’s really big now.”

Volunteers are split into two shifts per day, though the workshop is looking to add a third shift to produce vests long into the night.