Following another tragedy in Kyiv, the issue of shelters has become more pressing than ever. Why were only four underground shelters built in the capital over the years of war, and who is responsible for the safety of the city’s residents.
The Kyiv City State Administration explained why the shelter crisis arose and who is actually responsible for it.
The latest massive missile attack by the Russian Federation on Kyiv claimed the lives of 17 Kyiv residents. The city is trying to recover from the brutal strike, while residents continue to have questions for the authorities: where are reliable shelters, and why, after more than four years of war, have only four underground shelters been built in Kyiv, and who should be held accountable for this?
TSN.ua sent these questions to the leadership of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) and the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA). The KCSA provided detailed explanations.
Legislative Regulation: Who is Responsible for Shelters by Law?
The city hall notes that Ukrainian legislation does not assign responsibility for the creation, construction, and maintenance of all shelters in Kyiv to a single body or official.
Powers are distributed among local self-government bodies, local and military administrations, district state administrations in Kyiv (DSAs), as well as owners and balance holders of specific facilities (municipal, state, or private).
In conditions of martial law, the general organization of civil protection measures in the capital falls under the responsibilities of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA). In accordance with Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law,” military administrations are established, in particular, to ensure civil protection measures, public safety, and the protection of critical infrastructure.
In turn, district state administrations in Kyiv (DSAs) directly determine specific addresses for the construction, repair, or equipping of shelters, and also act as clients for works within the allocated budget.
After an facility is put into operation, responsibility for its proper condition is assigned to the balance holder and the relevant DSA. It is the balance holder who is obliged to maintain the protective structure in constant readiness for use.
Work on expanding the shelter fund is carried out in accordance with the Operational Plan of Measures for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Development of the Civil Protection Shelter Fund for the period up to 2034 (approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of March 4, 2025, No. 183-r).
Zone of Responsibility: Distribution of Roles Among City Structures
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Kyiv City Council: Approves city programs, the capital’s budget, and decisions on allocating funds for the construction, repair, and equipping of shelters.
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KCSA and the Mayor: Provide general leadership and coordination at the city level, organize program implementation, interaction between departments and districts, and control over the implementation of measures.
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KCMA: Ensures the implementation of martial law regime measures in the field of defense and civil protection.
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DSAs: Are responsible for the practical implementation of measures on the ground — from selecting facilities and ordering works to monitoring their completion within the scope of funding.
Billions for Safety: How Much Funds Did Kyiv Allocate for Shelters?
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, repair work and additional equipment have been carried out in approximately 3,000 shelters.
In the period 2022–2025, the Kyiv city authorities allocated about 7 billion UAH for the repair, equipping, and construction of new facilities (of which 4.5 billion UAH went specifically to repair and equipping). In 2026, over 1.1 billion UAH is allocated for the repair of shelters. Separate funds are allocated for the construction of new shelters in educational institutions: project and estimate documentation has been developed for 42 schools and kindergartens, and construction work is already underway at 25 sites.
According to the Department of Finance of the KCSA, the city budget for 2026 includes:
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840.2 million UAH — for the construction of dual-purpose facilities with anti-radiation shelter properties (as of July 8, 2026, 137.2 million UAH have been actually financed);
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173.6 million UAH — for the reconstruction of non-residential buildings with attached dual-purpose facilities (18.5 million UAH financed);
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934.8 million UAH — for the capital repair of simple shelters and protective structures (71.4 million UAH financed);
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12.9 million UAH — for current repairs (4.9 million UAH financed).
The construction of civil protection facilities is also included in the Program for the Economic and Social Development of the City for 2024–2026.
Expenditure Control and Inspection Results
Regarding the reasons for slow construction and the effectiveness of fund utilization, the KCSA states: the main spending units, particularly the district state administrations (DSAs), are responsible for the timely absorption of the budget. It is within their competence to address the reasons for the non-use of funds in full and the subsequent redirection of unused budget appropriations.
However, the city has no leverage over their heads — district administration heads are appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Cabinet of Ministers, so the city hall can only urge them to complete the work on time.
Overall, there are over 4.3 thousand shelters of various types, forms of ownership, and technical characteristics operating in Kyiv.
City authorities assure that they regularly monitor residents’ complaints through the Contact Center 1551. According to the Department of Municipal Security of the KCSA, over 700 inspections have been conducted since the beginning of the year, during which 115 violations were identified.
The most common problems remain:
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lack of or insufficient seating;
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lack of electricity supply and lighting;
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inadequate sanitary condition of the premises.
Previously, TSN.ua reported: why the Kyiv metro cannot let people into trains and whether tunnels will be opened for shelters.
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