A Dutch organization is embarking on an ambitious project to construct what is planned to be Ukraine’s largest underground hospital, strategically positioned near the front line. Designed to offer emergency medical care while ensuring the safety of patients and healthcare workers from the threat of drone and artillery assaults, this facility aims to address urgent medical needs in a conflict zone. The hospital will be situated approximately eight meters below ground level, spanning around 600 square meters, and will be built using reinforced concrete to endure intense attacks.
This underground facility will house six operating rooms specifically designed for trauma procedures, such as surgeries for shrapnel wounds and performing blood transfusions. Rather than operating as a conventional long-term care hospital, its primary function will be to act as a stabilization center. Here, critically injured soldiers can undergo immediate surgical interventions before being transported to medical facilities located further from the combat zone for continued care.
The exact location of the hospital is being withheld due to security concerns, but preparations for its construction are already in progress. The Dutch foundation leading the project anticipates the facility will be operational by February 2027. The initiative is being undertaken at the request of Ukraine’s Military Medical Service, with additional backing from a Norwegian healthcare foundation. The overall cost for the underground complex is projected to be €2 million, with an additional €500,000 needed for medical equipment, supplies, and armored vehicles for patient evacuation.
In total, the project budget is expected to reach €2.5 million. So far, the foundation has successfully gathered approximately €750,000 and continues to seek the remaining €1.75 million. Organizers emphasize that the increasing use of drones in battle zones has made traditional evacuation methods more perilous, highlighting the necessity for secure medical facilities closer to areas of conflict.