The Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center (SIZO) lacks civil defense protective structures that could be used during air raids or Russian missile attacks. For the safety of the people held in the institution, as well as the staff, new shelters or anti-radiation covers with a total capacity of 3,000 people need to be built. However, it is currently impossible to do so on the territory of the SIZO due to a lack of free space. This is stated in the response of the Department for the Execution of Criminal Punishments of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to a request from UNN.
Kyiv SIZO lacks shelters for 3,000 people
The Department reported that there are no structures on the territory of the SIZO that can be used as shelters. This refers to specially equipped bunkers or other premises that could be used to protect people during shelling.
The response, signed by Olena Levkovych, Head of the Department for Documentary, Administrative, and Economic Support, states the following:
"The state institution 'Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center' lacks a fund of civil defense protective structures,"
According to the Department, in order to provide shelter for convicts, persons taken into custody, as well as staff, the institution requires new protective structures. Their total capacity should be 3,000 people.
At the same time, the Department explained that it is impossible to build such structures or install modular shelters on the territory of the SIZO due to the lack of free space.
"There is a need for the construction of new civil defense protective structures with a total capacity of 3,000 people, but given the existing need on the territory of the institution, due to the lack of free space, it is impossible to carry out the construction of such protective structures and install modular-type shelters,"
Basements are unsuitable, and there is no room for new shelters
The Department also reported that the territory of the Kyiv SIZO has been inspected repeatedly to determine whether new shelters could be built or modular structures installed there. Specifically, basements, semi-basements, and underground passages were checked.
The inspection was conducted, in particular, on September 10, 2025, with the participation of representatives of the Shevchenkivskyi District Department of Civil Defense and Preventive Activities of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv, as well as the state institution "General Directorate of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine."
Based on the results of the inspections, the existing semi-basement and basement premises, as well as underground passages, were not recommended for use as simple shelters for people. They were also not recommended for inclusion in the fund of protective structures.
The Department explained that the problem lies not only in the condition of the premises but also in the territory of the institution itself. The distances between buildings and blocks do not allow for the placement of modular shelters or the construction of new protective structures.
How safety issues are addressed in the Kyiv SIZO
Despite the lack of shelters, the Department states that every correctional institution or pre-trial detention center must develop its own procedure for staff actions during an air raid.
This is included in action plans for emergency circumstances. However, it is not universal for all institutions. According to the Department, the procedure depends on the characteristics of the buildings, the location of possible shelters, the number of people in the institution, and other conditions.
"In turn, the specified algorithm differs and is not typical, depending on the structural features of the institutions, the locations of shelters, the planned occupancy of the institutions, etc.,"
Safety situation at Kyiv SIZO: why details are not disclosed
The Department does not disclose the details of the algorithms by which SIZO employees will act in case of real danger. They explain this by security considerations. According to the current internal list, the procedure for staff actions during emergencies is classified as official information.
The Department emphasizes that information about staff action algorithms is not published so as not to create additional risks for the institutions.
"The lack of information about the location of troops, critical infrastructure objects, algorithms, and action plans complicates the enemy's task of destroying them or hindering stable operation,"
The agency also reminded that officials of correctional institutions and pre-trial detention centers are obliged to ensure the safety of convicts, persons in custody, staff, and other people on the territory of such institutions.
As a reminder
The Kyiv Pre-trial Detention Center is located in a district of Kyiv that the adversary has regularly attacked with strike drones and missiles since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
For instance, on the night of May 24, following a missile strike, a market, one of the nearby shopping centers, a fast-food restaurant, and a metro station were damaged. More than 70 citizens were injured. Additionally, there were casualties among civilians.