One of Ukraine’s most decorated soldiers has developed an armoured combat suit to protect troops from drone attacks.

Major Oleh Shyriaiev, who was recently granted the highest military title of Hero of Ukraine, said he designed the outfit to be shrapnel resistant to save more lives.

The suit uses a combination of kevlar, a heat-resistant synthetic fibre that was originally used as a replacement for steel in racing tyres, and other materials that have the ability to absorb the impact of shrapnel.

Kevlar is not as effective at stopping bullets as the ceramic plates often used in traditional body armour. However, it is lighter and provides good protection against shrapnel, which has become the main battlefield threat because of the proliferation of drones.

Major Shyriaiev said his experience of drone warfare prompted him to design the suit.

He said: “The idea of these armoured overalls was my initiative and is something that hasn’t existed before.

“The reason for thinking about this is drones. When an enemy of a drone drops a grenade or explosive device, whether it hits a soldier or group of soldiers, there is shrapnel and ballistic powder flying around, which have different starting velocities and weight.

“Russia is working at a fairly brisk tempo in developing and using unmanned systems so we need to anticipate that.

“We are working and developing this idea so that in addition to bullet proof vests and helmets, the overalls will be made from so called ‘armoured fabric’ that stop shrapnel of certain sizes penetrating the material.”

He explained that the new overalls need to provide “maximum possible protection” for the body, and that they include reinforced elbow, knee and ankle protection. Designers are also looking into how they can make shoes with insoles that are resistant to the kind of impacts seen on the battlefield.

Militaries rarely use fully armoured suits outside of specialised units such as bomb disposal because of the impact on mobility and risk of overheating. Russian special forces units have also occasionally been seen in protective overalls for tasks such as anti-terror raids.

Traditional bulletproof vests can be removed when mobility is a greater priority than protection, such as on long marches onto the battlefield.

They provide some blast protection, but are chiefly designed to carry heavy plates that protect vital organs from bullets.

The move to integrate armour into clothing reflects the fact that the war in Ukraine has become largely static. Troops remain in the same position for long periods of time and the main threat is from drone and artillery blasts, not small arms fire.

Major Shyriaiev was awarded the Hero of Ukraine – the highest award that can be conferred on a citizen by the president – after taking part in the summer 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

He began his career during the separatist uprising in the Donbas in 2014, before the widespread adoption of drones.

Now unmanned aerial systems have revolutionised the battlefield

He noted the particular effectiveness of fibre optic drones, which cannot be countered by electronic measures and do not tend to lose signal as they are connected directly with a unit’s command centre.

“These are top of the game,” he said.

Major Shyriaiev stressed that, despite the ability of drones to “control territory in a better fashion”, the humble infantryman remains key to victory.

He said: “Without infantry war is impossible.

“There is no way a drone can replace a soldier. A soldier guides a drone, a soldier makes decisions, a soldier opens fire and a soldier makes observations with a human eye.

“Thanks to drones we control territory and now its summer trees have foliage, which conceals and covers silhouettes of people, and drones can’t capture this.

“In general in war one cannot win by one tactical thing. You need drones and video but there is infantry, reconnaissance and observation points which all help Command and Control to see what’s happening on the front line.”

Nato members met on Wednesday and agreed to raise their defence spending target to 5 per cent, which had been demanded by Donald Trump.

Ahead of the meeting Major Shyriaiev said: “I am convinced the EU and UK will be raising their spending on defence. They will be strengthening their army according to requirements of modern war.”

He warned of Russia’s “predatory ambitions” to conquer more countries in Europe, from Poland to Moldova and even parts of Finland.

He said that while Russia’s army cannot compare with Nato standards, it is still “making progress”.

Major Shyriaiev added: “It learns lessons and adapts to conditions of modern war. Even if they don’t want to fulfil orders they can be forced to do that and thanks to that they are moving forwards.”

For now, Major Shyriaiev’s main focus is on winning the war. Once that is achieved he will be reunited with his wife and two young children, who live in Kharkiv and whom he keeps in touch with via Facetime and on the rare occasions that he can visit home.

He said: “I understand that life is passing by but I have an important assignment to fulfil.

“Let’s see how the war develops. I don’t want my children to fight this war for me. I’d like to finish this war before they grow up once and for all.”