At the URC 2025 International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Rome, the Citadel project was presented — modern modular steel shelters designed for rapid installation in communities. Their purpose is to strengthen the protection of the civilian population during shelling and to ensure safe living conditions.
The initiative to create such shelters belongs to the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development with the support of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine. The design presented at the conference was developed in partnership with the Metinvest Group.
At URC 2025, a demonstration complex consisting of two modules equipped as school shelters was installed. They were shown to the participants of the event and also used as a meeting space for the Ministry of Development delegation with international partners. In total, the conference brought together more than 4,000 representatives of governments, business and the public sector to discuss the long-term recovery of Ukraine.
The modular shelters demonstrated in Rome are cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 2.4 metres and are installed at a depth of up to five metres. One module is designed for 48 people, and several such structures can be combined into larger complexes. Inside, there are seats, lighting, ventilation and a bathroom. The shelters are airtight, autonomous, equipped with a complete ventilation system and have already been tested with the participation of the military and the State Emergency Service.
According to Serhiy Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, the installation of the shelter takes only 3–5 days, and the cost of the structure for 100 people is about 220,000 euros, including installation, which is almost six times cheaper than previous analogues. Ukrainian businesses are capable of manufacturing hundreds of such shelters every month, and they can be installed in hospitals, schools, residential areas, or even in frontline communities.
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