When the wind blows, it gets quickly freezing cold. This is also known by the educated Russian, which is why the VKBO set of the Ratnik equipment Level 4 includes a jacket for over the summer uniform: the Windbreaker.

It's almost like the western US Army ECWCS or PCU set: only that the garment made of lightweight, windproof fabric is not a slip-on jacket for the Russians, but rather a jacket in the relatively traditional cut of the Russian army.

Interior view: you can see that the camouflage pattern is only printed on the outside. And two mesh pockets, there's not much else to see.

In the collar there is a loop so that you can hang up the wind jacket somewhere.

The collar can be worn raised up, …

… but also folded down and open. On the chest there are Velcro strips for name tags.

Epaulettes for rank insignia. And camouflaged loops that you can pull over the rank insignia.

The sleeve pockets are also very western. With Velcro areas for patches ...

And enough space for two cigarette packs.

At the end of the sleeve is an elastic band that is not adjustable.

It opens and closes with a zipper. The Russians also have zipper pulls.

On the right and left side of the chest are two large pockets.

The ventilation is formed by the sewn-in mesh. There's not much else there.

What we particularly like about Russian equipment is the repair patch that is all over the inside. At least that gives the illusion that every man can sew and repair his equipment himself.

The zipper is two-way, meaning you can also open the windshirt from the bottom.

And there is a flexible width adjustment on the right and left to prevent drafts from coming in from below.

A wind jacket that you can quickly throw on when it gets cooler.

The equipment in Digital Flora camo blends in well in the forest.

CONCLUSION: Practical jacket for deployment without any frills. Does what it needs to do - and in Russian quality.

You can get the VKBO 4th Layer Windbreaker directly from the RUSSIAN ARMY SHOP for 39 euros.

RUSSIAN ARMY SHOP online

The Russian Ministry of Defence online: eng.mil.ru

The Russian RATNIK System on SPARTANAT:

- Review: VKBO Level 1 Summer Underwear

- Review: VKBO Level 2 Winter Underwear

- Review: VKBO Level 3 Fleece Underwear

- Review: VKBO Level 4 Summer Uniform

- Review: VKBO Level 7 Warm Vest

- Review: VKBO Field Cap 2016

- Patchology: The Patches for Ratnik Uniform

- Review: GSSh-01 6M2 Active Hearing Protection

- Review: SARO Multitool 6E6 Ratnik

- Review: Flashlight FSS-014 Ratnik

- Review: IFAK Ratnik

- Review: Water Filter NF10 Ratnik

- Review: The Ratnik MRE of the Russian Army

- Article: Ratnik: PMK-4 Gas Mask

- Article: Ratnik Version 3 is said to have an exoskeleton

– Photo File: VKBO 6B48 – Russian Ratnik Tanker

– Photo File: The Ratnik for Syria

– Article: Knee Protectors for Pioneers

– Photo File: AK74M3 Modernization Kit

– Article: AK-12/AK-15 the new Kalashnikovs for the Ratnik System

– Photo File: Collimator 1P87 Ratnik – the Russian EOTech

– Article: After Ratnik comes Sotnik