Armies boot out Soviet tradition

The post-Soviet armies of Ukraine and Belarus are set to part with one of their oldest traditions.
Defense ministries in both countries are decommissioning traditional foot bindings and canvas boots.
For centuries they formed part of a soldier's standard uniform across the Russian empire.
Then the Soviet Union inherited the tradition and after its demise in 1991 many of its successor countries preserved this tradition.
Early service regulations of the Red Army even explained in great detail how to wear the boots and how to wind on the foot bindings.
For soldiers, the learning curve was steep. Alexander - who served as a tank gunner in the 1980s - says that in the first few weeks of the military service his feet were covered with bleeding wounds.