Frontline regions are the focus of the Coordination Headquarters for Physical Protection of Infrastructure: Oleksii Kuleba

On November 18, a regular meeting of the Coordination Headquarters for Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure was held.

The Coordination Headquarters brings together the work of structures responsible for energy, transport, water, heat, and communications: the Ministry of Energy, Ukrenergo, Naftogaz, central government bodies, regional military administrations, and critical infrastructure operators.

Since mid-October, the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development has been coordinating the construction of protective structures at more than 100 critical infrastructure facilities. The priority is given to frontline regions.

The participants of the meeting reported on the results of their work over the month. Together with military engineers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, 16 standard engineering solutions for the protection of critical infrastructure facilities have already been designed and approved. These solutions can be used by all balance holders, taking into account the location and availability of material suppliers nearby.

To ensure transparent pricing, work has been carried out with the manufacturer market. Open consultations were held with 70 Ukrainian factories, as a result of which the main suppliers were selected and the cost of construction materials was monitored. A procurement control system has also been developed.

"Work on the construction of protective structures is already underway on the ground. The teamwork of the authorities, communities, and the military is ensuring the resilience of critical infrastructure.

It is important for us to ensure transparency in all processes. Therefore, the Agency for Restoration has developed a system of reporting to the public and partners. Today, during a meeting of the Headquarters, we have approved the creation of an information dashboard to cover all data on the procurement of materials for the construction of protective structures. We will publicly present this dashboard in the coming days," said Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Oleksii Kuleba.

Among the important issues is the safety of builders on site. Algorithms have been elaborated for work in frontline regions to ensure people's safety, as well as a mechanism for round-the-clock work.

"Together with designers and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, we visited urban infrastructure facilities in communities. Separate solutions have been developed for their protection: water and heat are also critically important infrastructure. In addition to project development and actual construction, the operational situation and protection construction processes are constantly monitored. This is a team effort involving the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, the Agency for Restoration, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy, the State Emergency Service, and other services. The matter is urgent, and the deadlines are tight. Thank you to everyone who is working," said Serhii Sukhomlyn, Head of the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development.

It should be noted that the physical protection of facilities is one element of a comprehensive system of protective measures. These include mobile fire groups, the use of electronic warfare, air defense, and the last line of defense — the construction of a physical barrier against air strikes by enemy drones.

"Obviously, engineering protection can only guarantee the safety of facilities when other systems work in unison with it. Protection of elements always begins with an assessment of the criticality of both the facility and each of the elements that comprise it. First and foremost, it is important to protect those facilities that are expensive and time-consuming to restore and on which the functioning of the community depends. It is also necessary to constantly improve engineering protection and monitor its condition, as well as carry out timely repairs after damage," said Denys Mykhailovskyi, a military engineer at the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

It is also worth noting that the aggressor country is constantly changing its tactics of attacks on critical infrastructure. Since September, it has begun to target small critical infrastructure facilities.

"The enemy is rethinking its strategy. Previously, the focus was on large facilities, but now it is on massive strikes against peripheral infrastructure, not only energy, but also logistics, manufacturing, and civilian life support systems. They are particularly targeting frontline territories," said Artem Bilyk, a military engineer with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As a reminder, the Coordination Headquarters is a temporary advisory and coordination body established by a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on October 18, 2025. The headquarters ensures the interaction of all participants in the process of protecting critical infrastructure. The Coordination Headquarters will continue to focus on the rapid and effective construction of protective structures for key critical infrastructure facilities.