While the security issue is pivotal for the state, a system of protective shelters is turning into a strategic component of civil defense. Authorities, engineers, and builders are taking measures jointly aimed at making, keeping up, and renovating the protective constructions that can save lives of thousands of people.

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, as of 2025, this country has over 62,000 registered facilities of the civil defense protective shelters stock. 85% of them are ready to use, while only part of them meets the updated safety standards.

Although the number of shelters has increased over the past two years, a large part of works remains outdated as it was built back in the Soviet era, or is not used as designed.

In many communities, local authorities together with building companies and volunteers are reconstructing old basements and dual-purpose works and turning them into secure, air-tight shelters with proper ventilation, emergency lighting, and water supply systems.

In parallel, mobile and modular shelters network is expanding quickly. These are up-to-date solutions that allow quick installation of protective works in the yards of residential complexes, territories of educational facilities, or near public transport stations.

Yet, the issue of such shelters’ compliance with applicable legislation and regulations remains relevant.

Engineers and builders are currently playing a leading role in creating a safe space for people. It is their decisions that are shaping the reliability, functionality, and comfort of modern shelters.

Main focus areas of the industry are:

• introducing the updated norms and standards (state building norms, state standards of Ukraine) in designs of new buildings;
• designing modular shelters that can be quickly installed in any place or community;
• using state-of-the-art materials, including composites, light steels, reinforced concrete;
• making convenient and accessible shelters equipped with ventilation, ramps, and comfortable conditions for all groups of people;
• using autonomous systems such as solar panels, generators, LED lighting, and backup power supply.

Security of people starts from quality engineering solutions.
Today, the Ukrainian construction industry is not only driving the infrastructure recovery but also guarantees lifesaving in emergencies.

Local authorities jointly with the State Emergency Service, design institutes, architects, and developers should work on making a single standardized system of shelters. It should be based on cutting-edge technologies, transparent records, and clear regulation of interaction between all stakeholders.

At the same time, Ukraine has not still settled down the issue of a single approach to economic operators’ applications to territorial units of the State Emergency Service to obtain the initial data for design of the section “Engineering and technical measures of civil defense.” For that reason, designers often have incomplete or untimely information that complicates the elaboration of technically correct and safe solutions. At first sight, it may seem a formal matter, but the very completeness, timeliness, and quality of obtained initial data precondition the effective implementation of future projects and degree of their safety.

“Every new project in Ukraine, from a residential house to a shopping mall or school, has to include an element of protective infrastructure such as a refuge, shelter, or dual-purpose construction. Because ensuring public safety is not only a dictate of the time, it is a joint mission of the whole engineering and building community in Ukraine. Security must become an integral part of any project, irrespective of its scale,” comments ICEG President Oleksandr Nepomnyashchyy.

Summing up the aforesaid, only joining the efforts of the professional community, public authorities, local self-governments, territorial communities, and NGOs, as well as establishing the communication between them, will provide a comprehensive approach to solving the issues of civil defense. Such cooperation will guarantee a proper level of safety to Ukrainians even in the hardest times.