Experiences from war-torn Ukraine develop future shelters in Sweden

It has now been more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale offensive war against Ukraine. In the capital Kiev, however, daily life continues largely as usual. Children go to school, adults take the metro to work, and the health service functions, albeit under strained conditions. At the same time, the threat of air strikes is ever-present.

A delegation from Sweden visited Ukraine in early May to gain insights and lessons learned from a country at war about protecting the civilian population. Experiences that feed into the work of developing Swedish civil preparedness. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Vinnova and the Ministry of Defence were on the trip.

Johanna Johansson from Vinnova participated and said that the Swedish delegation was able to learn about how protective solutions are integrated into everyday life. In schools, hospitals and public transport. In schools, it can be about teaching being able to continue even under threat, which places eligibility requirements on the physical and social environment. In hospitals, operations need to be able to be changed quickly to handle many injured people, while regular care continues. In the subway, the shelters become not only a physical place but also a social meeting point where people spontaneously organize support, share what they have and help each other.

“Safety rooms must function in everyday life, not just in a crisis situation. They need to be easily accessible and designed as close to normal life as possible,” says Johanna Johansson.

It's not just about technology

I Ukraina most attacks occur at night. The main threats are Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. Having to visit shelters has become a natural part of people's everyday lives. Digital solutions have been developed that help citizens find shelters. For example, there is an app with a shelter map. There is also the opportunity for citizens to rate and comment on the shelter facilities. such as access to wifi, heating, toilets, lighting and more.

– Something I take to heart is that innovation in the field is not primarily about technology, but about how well the solutions meet people's needs and behaviors. Shelters do not work solely through technical specifications, but through being perceived as safe, relevant and useful, says Johanna Johansson.

In a crisis situation, there is generally a need for efficient and short decision-making processes. This has also been the case in Ukraine, which in a short time went from having barely any shelters to now having a comprehensive system. This is also something Sweden can be inspired by as we build up our total defense. This is said by Katja Berglund, head of the Shelter Unit at the Swedish Civil Defense Agency, who also participated in the trip.

– I hope that we can be inspired to shorten our decision-making processes in Sweden as well and not get caught up in details and scale back what is less important, so that we can have shelters that are good enough, so that we can be as prepared as we can, says Katja Berglund.

Sofia Westberg, who works at the Swedish Civil Defence Agency, has been based at the Swedish Embassy in Kiev since 2024. She sees great value in Sweden continuing to show its support for Ukraine, but that we also see the opportunity to learn from lessons.

– It is very important for us when we build up our total defense that we bring back knowledge from those who have unfortunately had to learn the hard way, so that we know what is needed in Sweden when things get really bad, says Sofia Westberg.

Five lessons from Ukraine

• Transparency: Information sharing is key. Making data about shelters – such as status, capacity and quality – openly available strengthens both use and accountability.
• Participation from the population: Citizens play an important role both as fellow humans who help each other when the alarm goes off, and by providing digital feedback to improve shelters.
• System perspective: Shelters need to be seen as part of a larger system where warning, information and digital infrastructure are integrated.
• Dual-use areas: The shelters that work best are rooms that are also used in everyday life.
• Fast and simple decision-making processes: Effective solutions require short decision-making processes and the ability to act