Kyiv authorities push to convert all underground spaces into public bomb shelters
Timur Tkachenko, Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA), said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
He noted that Kyiv’s current shelter infrastructure is insufficient and needs expansion. However, this is a challenging task due to the city's dense and chaotic urban development, shaped over decades.
“We’re exploring alternative solutions. One of them is the use of existing underground spaces not yet included in the official registry of civil protection shelters — such as parking garages, basements, and technical rooms. These must be inspected, registered, and adapted to safety standards. In my opinion, any underground space that can potentially serve as a shelter should be used as one,” Tkachenko explained.
He pointed out that if a facility is privately owned and the owner refuses to register it as a shelter, there’s currently no legal way to compel them. As a result, many private parking garages are not officially part of the shelter system and are often accessible only to residents of the buildings they serve.
“If a location is listed on the official shelter map, it must be open to everyone — anyone has the right to seek shelter there during an air raid alert. But we regularly receive reports of people being denied access to such shelters. This is something we address daily,” Tkachenko added.
As previously reported, the police are investigating claims that residents were denied access to a shelter in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district.
