President Vladimir Putin called for simplified decision-making in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine on Tuesday, speaking before the Coordination Council, a newly created council designed to meet the needs of the military and bolster support for the invasion, which is now in its ninth month, Reuters reported.

Putin created a new council last week when he imposed martial law in four partially occupied regions of Ukraine that he declared part of Russia, where his forces have suffered several defeats.

Putin demands the efficiency of communication and the production of military equipment

His comments, and those of some council members, were a tacit admission that Russia was not fully prepared for the resistance it faced in Ukraine, whose capital Kyiv failed to capture at the start of the war in February.

Putin said greater coordination between government agencies and regions was needed to direct the government to produce more equipment for its forces and provide them with better medical and logistical support, though he did not elaborate on how that would work.

“I have discussed many times with many of you the issues related to the need to update all works on improving administrative procedures,” Putin told the Council, which is made up of government members and regional leaders.

“Administrative reform is impossible without broader coordination between all departments: economic bloc, power bloc, regions.”

Even before Putin began the “partial mobilization” of hundreds of thousands of men for the campaign in Ukraine last month, soldiers complained on social media that they were woefully underequipped. For example, many had to buy their own protective equipment.

The head of the new council, Prime Minister Mykhailo Mishustin told Putin: “We need to intensify work on increasing the production of personal protective equipment.

“It is necessary to attract all the possibilities of light industry, including small enterprises, for the production of military equipment… We must make sure that our defenders do not lack equipment.”

Many mobilized Russians have to buy bulletproof vests on their own

Many Russian reservists drafted in to fight in Ukraine are likely to have to buy their own body armor – and prices have soared, a British intelligence assessment showed on October 15.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said the average amount of personal equipment Russia provides to its mobilized reservists is “almost certainly less than the already meager amount provided to previously deployed troops.”

“Many reservists, most likely, will have to purchase body armor on their own, in particular, the modern body armor 6B45, which is to be widely distributed in combat units as part of the “Warrior” program.

The British Ministry of Defense said the bulletproof vests were being sold on Russian online stores for 40,000 rubles (about $640 or £570), down from about 12,000 rubles in April.

In the video, Russians were stunned by the body armor used by Ukrainian troops, which they said gave them an “unpleasant and disappointing” feeling.

“A bit of an unpleasant feeling… this board is impenetrable. Our opponent’s plate is impenetrable, for some reason, I don’t understand,” says the Russian soldier, who then begins to cut the plate, which is usually placed inside the body armor.

“I’m in shock, even dents, absolutely nothing,” says the serviceman after removing the protective foam.

• VIDEO What the Ukrainians found in the bulletproof vests seized from the Russians. “Look what the second army of the world has”

• VIDEO After the bulletproof vests, the Ukrainians tested the protective helmets of the Russians. What did they find out?