Thousands of military lives saved in Metinvest’s underground hospital

A unique underground hospital near the frontline has become a reliable shield for medics and soldiers

Ukraine’s first underground hospital, built by Metinvest Group at a depth of six meters near the front line, has already saved the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. The unique 500-square-meter facility operates autonomously and has a laboratory, intensive care unit, operating rooms, recreation areas and even a kitchen. It is not visible from the air, which minimizes the risk of enemy strikes. This is stated in the company’s statement.

The initiator of the project was Roman Kuziv, commander of the East Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was the one who made sure that surgery should be mobile and protected in wartime. The underground hospital can withstand shelling even with anti-tank mines and landmines, which has been confirmed by tests.

“We need to be as close to the front line as possible. Here, time is of the essence. Today, the wounded are delivered here in less than half an hour, and we immediately start sorting and providing assistance,” explains Kuziv.

The hospital is equipped with the most necessary things, including a device military medics call a “medical javelin” for surgical interventions anywhere. It can accommodate up to 200 patients daily.

The medical team consists of surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating nurses and drivers. They all work almost seven days a week. Some of them, like surgeon Oleksandr Holovachenko (“Serhiyovych”), have more than 20 years of medical experience. Others, like Snizhana, a nurse anaesthetist, deliberately left civilian practice to be closer to those who need help the most.

The first hospital was launched in August 2024. The company’s investment in this complex amounted to UAH 20 million. Of this amount, UAH 7 million was spent on medical equipment and UAH 13 million on barrels, interior furnishings and timber, and construction work. In May and June, two more are scheduled to open, costing between UAH 12-15 million each.

This is part of the Steel Front initiative, which also includes steel dugouts to protect the military, protective screens to counter FPV drones mounted on armored vehicles, and more. Over the three years of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest has allocated UAH 8.4 billion to support Ukraine. A significant portion of these funds, UAH 4.4 billion, was donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of the Steel Front initiative.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Metinvest has already manufactured more than 200 buggies for Ukraine’s defenders. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine recently received another batch of vehicles. The vehicles were assembled as part of the cooperation between the Southern Operational Command and the Buggy for the Armed Forces of Ukraine public initiative.