A Dutch foundation has unveiled plans to construct what is set to become Ukraine’s largest underground hospital, strategically located near the front line to deliver emergency medical care while safeguarding patients and medical personnel from drone and artillery assaults. This ambitious facility will span approximately 600 square meters and be situated about 8 meters underground, featuring reinforced-concrete construction designed to endure heavy attacks. The hospital will be equipped with six operating rooms dedicated to urgent trauma procedures, such as surgeries for shrapnel injuries and blood transfusions.
Rather than serving as a long-term care hospital, the underground facility is designed as a stabilization center, enabling critically wounded soldiers to undergo immediate surgery before being transported to hospitals situated further from the conflict zone. For security reasons, the exact location of this medical facility is being kept confidential. Construction preparations are currently in progress, with the hospital expected to become operational by February 2027.
This project was initiated at the request of Ukraine’s Military Medical Service and is being executed with assistance from a Norwegian healthcare foundation. The estimated cost for the underground complex is €2 million, while an additional €500,000 will be required for medical equipment, supplies, and armored evacuation vehicles. Consequently, the total project cost is projected to be around €2.5 million. The foundation has successfully raised approximately €750,000 thus far and is actively seeking an additional €1.75 million to meet its financial goal.
The increasing prevalence of drones near the battlefield has escalated the dangers associated with conventional evacuation methods, underscoring the importance of protected medical facilities in close proximity to combat zones. Project organizers emphasize that such initiatives are crucial in the current conflict landscape, where swift medical intervention can be the difference between life and death for those wounded in combat.