Bomb shelters: the hope of Ukrainian civilians in the face of Russian attacks

In the city of Mariupolto the east of Ukraineabout 350 thousand people survive under the surface.

Hospitals, schools, shops or train stations. Everything that has been converted into a bomb shelter has served that purpose. Those who could not reach them are part of the fateful statistics that the war has been leaving in this ravaged city: 2,500 dead civilians, more than 80% of the city destroyed, 30,000 exiles.

READ ALSO | Russia-Ukraine war: Some 30,000 people evacuated from Mariupol “hell” this week

According to the local authorities of Mariupol, every day between 50 and 100 bombs dropped by the Russian army fall on them. The invaders, they denounce, do not distinguish between hospitals, schools or shelters.

The most recent display of such barbarism was recorded on Wednesday, when a theater housing between 1,000 and 1,500 civilians – mainly women and children, according to authorities – was bombed despite having the word “children” written in front of it.

The latest reports confirm that so far there are no reports of deaths or injuries, but there are reports of people trapped. “We hope and believe that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater may survivePetro Andrushchenko, a mayoral official, told the AP news agency.

underground country

what of Mariupol is just one example of what has happened throughout the country since Vladimir Putin launched its infamous special military operation on February 24.

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On this map, for example, you can see the refugees created in the city of Kharkiv, the second largest in Ukraine.

In this other, prepared by the Kyiv governmentyou can see the more than 5 thousand bomb shelters created as a result of the war.

In the capital ukrainianIn addition, the role of the underground metro has taken on special relevance. Before the war, the huge network was responsible for moving approximately 1 million people a day.

Today, after 7:00 pm, its 52 stations become the refuge for 15,000 citizens seeking to spend the night without the threat of bombs.

In Ukraine you can find everything from bomb shelters that were built during the Cold War era to others more modern, such as the theater in Mariupol, according to the authorities. And although these have not provided further details on the characteristics of these spaces, there are some general concepts that they meet.

ALSO IN THE WORLD | There were no victims in the Mariupol theater bombed by Russia, according to Ukrainian parliamentarian

For example, your location. Although there are shelters at ground level, the ideal is that these are installed about 3 meters below the surface, such as in basements or, in the specific case of the Arsenalna metro station, in Kyiv105 meters deep.

Another point to take into account is the density of the walls. For example, it is estimated that they need to be 3.5 meters thick to withstand a 1 metric ton bomb. The refugeIn addition, it must have a ventilation and air purification system, as well as a power source that allows those who are inside to survive at least a week.

It is also clear that constructions of this type must be carried out by qualified personnel. Therefore, it is not surprising that companies like the Italian company Minus Energie have gone from selling some 50 bunkers in the last 22 years to receiving 500 orders from all over Europe so far in March, according to an article in The New York Times.

Interior of one of the bunkers built by the Minus Energie company and photographed by Nadia Shira Cohen for The New York Times.

Bunk beds, blankets, a little food and some water, in addition to primary medical care implemented by international voluntary organizations, are some of the things that can be found in the ukrainian shelters.

READ ALSO | War in Ukraine: more than 1,000 people took refuge in the theater bombed by the Russians

In addition, the telecommunications company Kyivstar has assured that it has installed the Internet in 201 bomb shelters located in cities such as Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Kryvy Rih, Lviv, Dniproamong other.

And it hopes to maintain a rate of interconnection to include between 15 and 20 shelters per day.

Because today, in the hardest moment of the war, hope ukrainian it seems to be underground.

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Source: Elcomercio