On September 24, 2026, Warsaw hosted the international conference “Local Government in Times of War and Crisis: How Can We Benefit from Ukraine’s Experience?” The event was organized by Poland’s Institute for Health Protection in cooperation with the Medical University of Warsaw and the Association of Polish Counties. Its primary objective was to share Ukraine’s practical experience and translate lessons learned into solutions that can help European communities strengthen their emergency preparedness.
The conference brought together approximately 700 participants, including representatives of national and local governments from Poland and Ukraine, experts in civil protection and crisis management, and business representatives with hands-on experience in developing protective infrastructure under wartime conditions.
Oleksii Lebedev, founder of ALD Engineering & Construction, joined the international expert dialogue. On the sidelines of the conference, he discussed Ukraine’s practical experience in constructing protective shelters with international counterparts, including their deployment and operation under wartime conditions, as well as opportunities for future professional cooperation.
“Sharing the experience we have gained under real wartime conditions with our European colleagues is important to us. Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, we have continued to deliver industrial and infrastructure projects while simultaneously expanding our protective construction operations. We design and build above-ground and underground modular shelters, including fully and partially buried structures, to protect civilians, industrial workers, municipal service personnel, emergency responders and police officers. These engineering solutions are already being deployed across Ukraine, and the expertise we have gained can help our European partners develop their own protective infrastructure,” said Oleksii Lebedev.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, ALD Engineering & Construction has built hundreds of modular shelters across various regions of Ukraine. These structures are designed to protect civilians, industrial workers and people at social infrastructure facilities. The structures undergo testing under conditions simulating real-world combat threats, while the company’s production operations are certified in accordance with international standards.
Today, Ukraine not only faces the challenge of reconstruction but also possesses valuable practical expertise gained under wartime conditions that can benefit its European partners. For ALD, international dialogue creates opportunities to share expertise in the construction and operation of protective shelters, while enabling European countries to apply Ukrainian solutions in developing their own civil protection systems. The conference organizers also emphasized the importance of such cooperation. In its official report, the Medical University of Warsaw highlighted the value of Ukrainian specialists’ practical expertise in strengthening Poland’s preparedness for emergencies.