A Dutch foundation plans to construct Ukraine’s largest underground hospital close to the front lines, providing crucial emergency medical care while safeguarding patients and staff from drone and artillery fire. The facility, designed to function as a stabilization center rather than a long-term hospital, will allow severely injured soldiers to undergo immediate surgeries, such as those for shrapnel wounds and blood transfusions, before being moved to hospitals further from the combat zone.
Spanning about 600 square meters, the hospital will be situated roughly 8 meters below ground and built with reinforced concrete to endure heavy attacks. It will feature six operating rooms dedicated to urgent trauma procedures. Due to security considerations, the location of this underground center remains undisclosed. Preparations for construction are underway, with the facility anticipated to open its doors in February 2027.
This project, requested by Ukraine’s Military Medical Service, is being executed in partnership with a Norwegian healthcare foundation. The estimated cost for building the underground complex is €2 million, while an additional €500,000 is needed for medical equipment, supplies, and armored vehicles for evacuations. Thus, the total projected cost amounts to €2.5 million. To date, the foundation has secured around €750,000, leaving a gap of €1.75 million to be raised.
The increasing use of drones in battlefield areas has rendered conventional evacuation methods perilous, underscoring the need for secure medical facilities near conflict zones, according to project organizers. The establishment of this underground hospital aims to mitigate these dangers by ensuring that medical intervention is available close to where it is most urgently required.