Ukraine has completed its first integration of a steel shelter within a military educational institution: an underground training hub designed to ensure continuity of teaching under threat. The facility was built using steel produced by Metinvest Group, in line with the company’s Steel Dream concept for rebuilding the country and as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. The company’s investment in the hub totals UAH16 million.
The underground shelter covers nearly 100 square metres. Its structure comprises prefabricated steel modules manufactured off-site, allowing the facility to be assembled in just six weeks. The shelter complies with national construction standards and combines a safe space with adaptable, multifunctional classrooms for training.
Military personnel can stay there during air-raid alerts and continue lessons without interruption. The hub is located outside the main building and connected to it by steel walkways. The shelter is buried deep enough to provide reliable protection against debris and drone attacks. It is designed to accommodate training for more than 70 people and provide temporary refuge for up to 150. Inside, there are three training spaces, toilets and five exits, including an emergency evacuation exit that leads personnel to a safe distance. Thanks to folding furniture, the rooms can be easily reconfigured for different activities, from lectures to tactical medicine training.
The Steel Dream solution is modular and versatile: shelters can be integrated into both existing buildings and new projects. It can be quickly tailored to clients’ needs in terms of floor area, capacity or room functions. Steel Dream also includes designs for temporary and anti-radiation shelters and bunkers.
“Metinvest sees great potential in the use of steel shelters for both the military and civilians. It is a quick solution that guarantees safety and the continuity of learning even during wartime. Steel is the main material for Ukraine’s future reconstruction. Even now, steel protects lives, shaping a new architecture of safety for the country,” said Metinvest Group CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov.
The idea of creating the underground training hub came from the leadership of the Odesa Military Academy, which approached the Group for help in protecting people while ensuring continuity of the educational process.
“It was critically important for us to find a solution that would allow us to respond promptly to air-raid alerts without losing the tempo of training. Training schedules for all categories of personnel are extremely tight, and every enemy attack poses a risk not only to life but also to the rhythm of preparation. We wanted to create a space where safety is combined with functionality, and Metinvest Group provided exactly that, free of charge. Modern technology, aesthetics and flexibility make it possible to hold lectures, run training sessions and classes in tactical medicine, as well as to ensure comfortable rest. This is not just a shelter: it is care for the people who prepare for service in wartime every day,” said Andrii Stupin, head of logistics at the Odesa Military Academy.
Such shelters, proven by the military, can also serve civilians – from schools and universities to hospitals and administrative buildings – wherever people need rapid protection.
Steel Dream is concept for rebuilding the country. It offers a suite of ready-made solutions for the construction of homes, as well as social and commercial infrastructure. A community can choose a project, adapt it to its needs, secure funding and start construction immediately. Specialists have developed more than 200 ready-made building designs based on three prefabricated steel elements: frame, module and platform. The projects include a complete set of documentation: cost estimates, construction schedules, layouts and technical specifications.
