In Odesa, 27 mobile shelters were found to be unsuitable due to new requirements

In Odesa, 27 of the simplest shelters—which the city purchased in 2023–2024—do not comply with the updated building codes, and the city council has yet to receive a response from the State Emergency Service to its letters.

This issue was discussed at a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s Committee on Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief, Ecology, and Digital Transformation.

“They began installing them in 2023 and continued through 2024. And at the end of 2024, the State Emergency Service—well, not just the State Emergency Service, but other agencies as well—made changes to the state building codes,” explained a representative of the city council.

According to him, the shelters installed earlier do not comply with current standards. Some of them are located in schools. The official speculated that they have likely not been used for over a year.

City authorities sent letters to the State Emergency Service and to the agency that certifies such shelters, but, according to the official, received no response. Therefore, he says, the city council currently has no way to influence the situation.

Mykhailo Karpenchuk, the committee chair, asked whether such shelters could be used unofficially. The official replied that this was one of the ideas being considered. He added that most of the structures, he said, were built on site, so it is impossible to remove or relocate them without destroying them.

They are also considering the option of using them as “points of resilience.” To this end, the city council plans to consult with the State Emergency Service.

According to the official, for 90% of the shelters that do not meet standards, there are alternative shelters nearby. Funding has been allocated for the remaining 10%: the municipal agency “Civil Defense Structures” is to purchase new shelters by the end of this year or early next year.

Ірина Глухова