On 8–11 September, Hobbit House took part in MSPO 2026 in Kielce — the largest defence exhibition in Central and Eastern Europe. We showed modular reinforced-concrete civil defence shelters and solutions for critical infrastructure. But the most valuable thing we brought back was not the stand — it was the questions. Here are the five we heard most often, with our answers.

1. How long does shelter installation take?

This was the first question from almost everyone. On-site assembly of the structure takes from 8 hours for basic "Fortetsia" models; large multi-module shelters take from 1 day to a week. Manufacturing and delivery are a separate stage. European clients find this surprising: they are used to a shelter as a construction project, not as a product that is delivered and assembled.

2. How does the shelter behave under real load?

Here we did not argue with words. The proving-ground test video: "Fortetsia" withstood the detonation of a 120 mm mine and direct hits from the 125 mm cannon of a T-72 tank with a high-explosive fragmentation shell. Reinforced concrete, 300 mm walls per DBN standards, 500 kPa — five times the state minimum. Full-scale testing at this level is rare in the region, and it drew the most questions from engineers.

3. Can a shelter be installed at an operating plant without stopping work?

Yes — and that is the main advantage of an above-ground shelter. It needs no extensive earthworks, is placed on a prepared site next to a workshop or office, and installation is measured in hours. For a business this means people are protected and production does not stop for weeks. More in shelters for business.

4. What does "dual purpose" mean in peacetime?

This question came from developers and municipalities. In peacetime, an above-ground reinforced-concrete shelter can serve as a warehouse, workshop or auxiliary room — provided this does not prevent bringing it to readiness quickly. The space does not sit idle; the investment works every day. We describe this in our article on dual-purpose shelters.

5. Does a Ukrainian shelter comply with European standards?

The honest answer: in Ukraine our shelters are certified to DSTU 9329:2025, while requirements for a specific site in each EU country are set by national regulations. That is why we work out each configuration together with local designers. This is how the first modular shelter in Estonia and the above-ground "Fortetsia" shelter in Poland already operate. The interest is logical: in Estonia shelters are mandatory in new buildings from 1 July 2026, in Latvia from 1 January 2027, and Poland has a civil protection law and a programme financing protective structures.

What comes next

For us, MSPO is the start of systematic work in the region. We will continue taking part in specialised events in Poland and the Baltics and are ready to share the experience Ukraine has gained in practice with designers, developers and civil protection services.

Have your own question about a shelter for a site in Ukraine or abroad? Share the number of people and the type of site — a Hobbit House engineer will answer and propose a configuration. See the catalogue of modular shelters.