Business representatives support the transition to zonal air threat warnings
5 May 08:49
Businesses in the frontline regions will be able to operate more stably thanks to zonal air alerts, which will be another step towards creating a more predictable environment for business in times of war. This was stated by the European Business Association, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
They reminded that representatives of the Association have already appealed to the government with a proposal to consider the possibility of introducing a targeted warning system and to develop a solution that will take into account the interests of business and society in a balanced way.
Where the zonal alert system is already in place
According to the EBA, such a system has been implemented in Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, and Zhytomyr regions. Since February, the air alert map has also displayed separate alerts for Kharkiv and the rest of the region.
“This system is a step towards greater stability in all spheres of life. Businesses, banks, government agencies, and the service sector will be able to work longer without unnecessary interruptions,” Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said at the time.
On May 1, testing of the zonal air raid warning system began in Dnipropetrovs’k region. According to Serhiy Lysak, the head of the Dnipro regional air traffic control center, from now on, alarms will sound only in those areas where a threat has been detected. The rest of the region will retain its “green” status.
What does this alert system mean for business?
According to the European Business Association, all of these regions are critically important for Ukraine’s economy, in particular as part of logistics routes, industrial zones, and energy infrastructure. In addition, Dnipropetrovska and Zaporizka oblasts have frontline territories, so changes in the threat alert system will help to manage security risks more effectively.
It also means improving the business climate in regions where it is particularly important, and for international partners and potential investors, it is a signal that Ukraine is implementing modern security management systems even in the frontline regions.
In addition, changes in the threat alert system will stabilize the educational process, which will help retain qualified personnel in Ukraine in the long run.
Trade is particularly affected by downtime due to air raids
At the end of last year, the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers estimated that, on average, the downtime of shopping centers in Ukraine due to air alerts reached 93.3 working days since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and in November 2024, the downtime was 3 working days.
The top five regions with the highest share of air raid alarms during the operation of shopping centers at the end of last year were as follows: Sumy region (51.7%), Donetsk region (48.5%), Kharkiv region (32.6%), Poltava region (23.3%), Chernihiv region (21.9%).
