LVIV, Ukraine — Yuriy Zakharchuk once dreamed up combat costumes for the stage, designing everything from medieval armor to space battle suits.But after Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Mr. Zakharchuk decided to take his business from the realms of fiction into the real world of war brought to his home city of Kyiv.His company’s transition to making body armor and helmets makes a kind of sense, he noted with a wry smile. “We have always provided protection for every need,” he said, “from the days of the Roman Empire to the fantasies of the future.”More seriously, he added, his business, Steel Mastery, is experienced in developing gear that is light and suitable for long hours of wear. “We know how to make stuff comfortable,” he said.Mr. Zakharchuk, whose company of 70 workers once provided costumes for thousands of customers in Europe and the United States, is not alone in the sw …
