Ukrainian underground hospitals, created with the participation of Metinvest and the Steel Front initiative, have proven so effective that the U.S. Army has taken interest in them. American command is studying this model as an example of rapid adaptation of medicine to war – and as a successful collaboration between government and business.
Why Underground Hospitals Were Needed
Due to constant shelling, more than 300 medical facilities have been destroyed and over 2,000 damaged. Therefore, Ukrainian medics began moving stabilization points underground. Metinvest offered a real engineering solution by manufacturing steel modules converted into full-fledged underground trauma centers.
What Attracted U.S. Attention
In an analytical report by the Center for Army Lessons Learned at the U.S. Army, the Ukrainian model is called an example for adaptation. American experts emphasize several points:
The U.S. is considering the possibility of applying such solutions in INDOPACOM and EUCOM – from Guam and Hawaii to Poland and the Baltics.
The report directly mentions the collaboration of Ukrainian medics with the private sector – in particular, with Metinvest and Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front initiative. American Colonel Joseph Serowik notes that this model confirms: interaction between the army and business accelerates the implementation of necessary technologies and strengthens the resilience of the system as a whole.
How Metinvest's Complexes Are Structured
The hospital consists of six steel modules 7.6 m long and 2.5 m in diameter. Inside are two operating rooms, two intensive care units, working premises, and a rest area. The equipment allows stabilization of severely wounded directly at the front line.
American military officials acknowledge: the Ukrainian model solves a key problem – the impossibility of rapid evacuation with high intensity fighting and constant drone surveillance.
Against the backdrop of implementing underground hospitals, it's important to note the scale of assistance that Rinat Akhmetov's business has directed toward supporting the army and civilians. Over three years of full-scale war, his companies and foundation have allocated 13 billion hryvnias for humanitarian and military needs.
Thus, the Ukrainian model of underground hospitals is not a temporary measure, but a new concept of protecting life in war. And the fact that the U.S. medical command is studying it shows: an approach developed under conditions of extreme pressure can become the foundation for new military medicine in the world.
Ukraine's experience and the contribution of business, including Metinvest and Rinat Akhmetov's initiatives, are already now forming practices that are being followed by the world's leading armies.
Sources:
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinat_Akhmetov
https://theweek.com/ukraine/957194/who-is-rinat-akhmetov-richest-man-in-ukraine-sues-russia
https://theweek.com/ukraine/957194/who-is-rinat-akhmetov-richest-man-in-ukraine-sues-russia