Metinvest has built Ukraine’s first underground training hub for military personnel

Metinvest Group has built Ukraine’s first underground training hub for the military, a facility that combines the functions of a shelter and training classrooms. It was created from the company’s steel as part of the Steel Dream concept for rebuilding the country within the Steel Front military initiative. Investments in the project amounted to UAH 16 million, according to a press release.

The shelter covers an area of almost 100 square meters. The structure consists of prefabricated steel modules, which made it possible to build the facility in a month and a half. The hub is designed to comfortably accommodate more than 70 people for training and up to 150 people for temporary accommodation. Inside, there are three training areas, bathrooms, and five exits, including an emergency exit. Thanks to foldable furniture, the space can be easily transformed for lectures, training sessions, or tactical medicine classes.

«Metinvest sees great potential in the use of steel shelters for both military and civilian purposes. It is a quick solution that guarantees safety and continuity of training even during wartime. Steel is the main material for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Steel is already protecting lives by shaping a new security architecture for the country,» said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the group.

The idea of creating an underground hub belongs to the leadership of the Odessa Military Academy, which was looking for a way to ensure the safety and continuity of the educational process during air raid alerts.

«We wanted to create a space where safety is combined with functionality, and Metinvest offered just that on a pro bono basis. Modern technology, aesthetics, and the possibility of transformation all allow lectures, training sessions, and tactical medicine classes to be held, as well as ensuring comfortable rest. This is not just a shelter – it is care for people who prepare for service in wartime conditions every day,» emphasized Andriy Stupin, the academy’s head of logistics.

Modular steel shelters, tested by the military, can also be used for civilian facilities – schools, universities, hospitals, and other buildings that require quick and reliable protection.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest Group has allocated UAH 9.72 billion to support the state and Ukrainians, including UAH 5.2 billion for the army’s needs as part of the Steel Front military initiative. For more than three and a half years, the group’s priority has been to help the army, because the future of the country, cities, and industry depends on its resilience.