Shelter Coalition: An International Partnership for the Safety of Ukrainians
First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Oleksii Serhieiev, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Ukraine Tarja Fernández, and representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the diplomatic corps discussed the next steps for the international Civil Protection Shelter Coalition for Ukraine. Key issues included mobilising international support, expanding the network of protective structures, developing new types of shelters and strengthening international partnerships. The international community was represented by more than 60 participants from 40 countries, including heads of diplomatic missions, as well as representatives of 14 international organisations. The moderator of the event was Dina Shesternenko, a communications specialist at the Institute for Scientific Research in Civil Protection of the National Center for Civil Protection of Ukraine.
Creating a modern network of protective structures accessible to the public remains one of the key priorities in civil protection. For Ukraine, which faces russian missile and drone attacks every day, this is directly linked to saving lives. Reliable protection of civilians requires systematic, long-term efforts that extend beyond individual projects or immediate operational decisions.
One of the Shelter Coalition’s top priorities is to pool international resources, expertise and practical experience to strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities in the field of civil protection.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is responsible for coordinating work related to protective structures. The Ministry develops state policy on civil protection, oversees the expansion of the network of protective structures and coordinates these efforts at the national level.
“In May 2025, Ukraine and Finland launched the Civil Protection Shelter Coalition. I thank Finland for its leadership in this initiative. I thank every country and every organisation that has already joined. This is a tangible and very important contribution to protecting the lives of Ukrainians,” said Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
The Coalition comprises 12 countries and four international organisations. Since its establishment, a governance framework has been developed with a clear division of responsibilities between its governing and working bodies. The Steering Board provides strategic leadership, sets priorities, and facilitates the engagement of partners.
The Steering Group ensures operational coordination, including approving project selection criteria and funding decisions. The Project Selection Group conducts technical assessments and reviews project proposals, while the Secretariat provides administrative, organisational and communications support.
“As part of the Coalition’s work, 176 projects for the construction of protective structures have already been reviewed. Of these, 12 have been approved for implementation, and construction has begun at eight sites in the Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Kherson regions,” said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Oleksii Serhieiev.
It is important to note that the first projects selected for implementation were in frontline regions, where the need to protect the population is greatest. Projects are selected directly by the funding partners. Individual projects are implemented by organisations including the Belgian Development Agency and Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency.
The Coalition’s model brings together resources from partner countries, the European Union, international financial institutions and organisations through a range of financial instruments. This approach makes it possible to combine funding sources and accelerate project implementation.
“Partners have already allocated more than €22 million. A further €10 million under a European Union initiative is at the contracting stage. At the same time, the large number of submitted projects demonstrates the scale of Ukrainian communities’ needs. Alongside further project selection, putting already prepared projects into practice remains an important task,” Oleksii Serhieiev emphasised.
Priority is given to frontline regions, where the need to protect the population is highest. At the same time, protective infrastructure must also be developed in major cities, where large numbers of people may simultaneously need a safe place during air attacks.
Expanding international partnerships has been an important achievement. Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Coalition membership has grown from six to 16. Countries, international organisations and institutions are joining forces around a shared goal: strengthening the protection of Ukraine’s civilian population.
The network of protective structures is being expanded in accordance with the State Strategy for the Development of Civil Protection Structures up to 2034. The Strategy provides for both the construction of new, modern shelters and the development of long-term civil protection infrastructure that will meet the needs of communities in the future.
“Reliable protective structures in Ukrainian communities are an urgent need today. The construction of mobile shelters must begin as soon as possible, while adhering to approved standards,” said Tarja Fernández, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Ukraine.
The practical implementation of civil protection measures is directly linked to ensuring that protective structures are ready for their intended use. Viktor Vitovetskyi, Director of the Department of Civil Protection and Preventive Activities of the SESU, spoke about this during the meeting.
“The SESU units ensure the implementation of key tasks in the field of civil protection. In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, the SESU is responsible for monitoring the readiness of civil protection shelters for their intended use. Therefore, ensuring adequate protection for the population is one of the top priorities in this area,” emphasized Viktor Vitovetskyi.
At the same time, the full-scale war requires clear and urgent decisions that can provide protection as quickly as possible. Building permanent protective structures can take months and, in some cases, years. Yet the need for a safe space arises immediately during air raid alerts – at public transport stops, near hospitals and schools, in public spaces and at other locations.
Possible locations include the courtyards of apartment buildings where Points of Invincibility operate during winter. This would allow these facilities to combine their existing role with providing a protected space during air raid alerts.
“At a meeting of the Coalition’s Steering Group, a decision was made to direct available funding towards the procurement of mobile shelters. This approach should strengthen communities’ ability to protect residents over the coming months, alongside the expansion of the permanent network of protective structures,” Oleksii Serhieiev noted during discussions with participants.
Particular attention is being paid to preparations for winter and to protecting people at locations where Points of Invincibility are traditionally set up during the cold season. If a drone or its debris falls into the courtyard of an apartment building, ordinary tents do not provide adequate protection. It is therefore proposed to replace tents with concrete shelters that can also serve as Points of Invincibility.
The initiative covers major cities – Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Zaporizhia – as well as Ukraine’s frontline cities. These structures are planned for locations that hosted Points of Invincibility and warming centres in previous winters. Using established locations makes it possible to assess shelter needs in advance and prepare the facilities for winter.
The new shelters will have a dual purpose: protecting people against wartime threats and remaining functional civil protection facilities after the war ends.
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
