By the decision of the Commission on Environmental Safety, Manmade Disaster and Emergency Response, closed stations and concourses of the blue line of the Kyiv Metro can be used as shelter during air raid alerts, the Ukrainian government website reported.

"It has been decided that the stations and concourses of the closed line can be used as shelter during air raid alerts. The relevant departments have been instructed to conduct additional checks on the safety of such shelters," the government said in the press release.

An extraordinary meeting of the Commission on Environmental Safety, Manmade Disaster and Emergency Response was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov on Saturday.

The report was made by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who said that back in November, along route 1 between Demiyivska and Lybidska stations on the site within the Obolonsko-Teremkivska line of the Kyiv metro, significant leaks and cracks appeared in the track tray and tubes of the tunnel frame.

On December 8, this situation was discussed at a meeting of the regional Commission on Environmental Safety, Manmade Disaster and Emergency Response and a decision was made to suspend traffic in this area.

Klitschko said that today, there is no emergency situation, but there is a threat of its occurrence. Therefore, necessary steps are taken to prevent it. In particular, according to him, six subway stations are closed to train traffic.

"According to the Kyiv mayor, there is no threat of flooding of the stations themselves, since groundwater is located below the level of the stations, which will allow them, during air raid alerts, to work as a shelter," the government said.

Based on the results of the reports heard, the Commission recognized that due to the filtration of groundwater and the removal of rock into the tunnel along route 1 between Demiyivska and Lybidska stations on the site within the Obolonsko-Teremkivska line of the Kyiv metro there is a potential threat of manmade emergency.

The municipal enterprise Kyiv Metro, in particular, was instructed to immediately conduct the necessary inspections, determine the causes of the emergency and take steps to perform urgent restoration work.

Also, the Kyiv City Military Administration shall ensure the organization and transportation of the population by duplicating the subway along ground transport routes between the Lybidska and Teremky stations.