Latvia's Ministry of Economics is preparing standardised documentation for the procurement of industrially manufactured shelters — ones installed both above and below ground. According to LSM English, the document was due by early October 2026. For the modular reinforced-concrete shelter market this is an important signal, and it concerns more than just Latvia.

What exactly is changing in Latvia

The plan sets unified requirements for factory-made shelters and a simplified procurement procedure. Olga Feldmane, head of the construction policy department, noted that an above-ground shelter can in some cases cost less than adapting a protective structure inside an existing building. Private owners, according to civil protection official Uldis Kevers, will be able to buy shelters of up to 60 m² under simplified requirements.

Elīna Egle-Ločmele, head of the security industry federation, explained why standards matter: local companies are ready to manufacture, but investment is held back by the lack of clearly defined demand and unified requirements. A standard removes exactly that uncertainty.

Why this concerns all of Europe

Latvia is part of a wider movement. In Estonia, shelters have been mandatory in new buildings above a certain size since 1 July 2026. In Latvia the mandatory requirement takes effect on 1 January 2027. Poland has a civil protection law and a state programme financing protective structures. Europe is building a shelter system — and increasingly choosing factory-made, industrially manufactured solutions, because they are faster and more predictable than capital construction.

Experience Europe is testing in practice

Before entering Europe, "Fortetsia" proved itself at home: more than 600 Hobbit House shelters are already installed across Ukraine — at enterprises, in communities and at other sites. They operate every day in real conditions, including near-front regions. This is not a pilot but scale, proven where shelters are needed most.

We are bringing this experience to Europe. Hobbit House produced the first modular shelter installed in Estonia and an above-ground "Fortetsia" shelter in Białystok, Poland, and in September 2026 presented its solutions at the MSPO exhibition in Kielce.

At the core is a structure proven not on paper: the above-ground "Fortetsia" shelter passed full-scale proving-ground tests, withstanding the detonation of a 120 mm mine and direct hits from the 125 mm cannon of a T-72 tank. 300 mm reinforced-concrete walls, 500 kPa strength, certified to DSTU 9329:2025.

How we work in EU markets

In Ukraine our shelters are certified to DSTU 9329:2025. Requirements for a specific site in each EU country are set by national regulations, so we work out the configuration for local standards together with the client's designers. This is how the projects in Estonia and Poland were delivered.

Planning a shelter for a site in Ukraine or Europe? Share the number of people and the type of site — a Hobbit House engineer will propose a configuration. See the catalogue of modular shelters.

Source: LSM English / ua.news.