In Mykolaiv, there are plans to continue serving the public at the Administrative Service Centres during alerts
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- Alina KvitkoReporter
Administrative service centres in Mykolaiv may adjust their opening hours during air raid alerts. Photo: Mykolaiv City CouncilIn Mykolaiv, officials are looking for ways to ensure that administrative service centres remain open during air raid alerts. One option is to organise the receipt and issue of documents directly in air-raid shelters.
This was discussed during a staff meeting at the city council on 7 September, according to NikVesti.
Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, pointed out that when an air-raid alert is sounded, visitors leave the administrative service centres and often remain right outside the buildings, even though there are shelters nearby.
«People have raised an important issue — the operation of the Administrative Service Centres during air raid alerts. We can see that staff and visitors leave the premises and often simply remain near the entrance, putting themselves at risk. For example, at the Administrative Service Centre in Zavodskyi District, to reach the shelter, one simply needs to walk round the building – it is literally a few dozen metres away. The shelter is fully equipped, but people still remain by the entrance during an air-raid alarm. We therefore need to consider how to organise the receipt and issue of documents directly within the shelters. This also applies to the central Administrative Services Centre. Perhaps some staff should be relocated there, or separate areas set up for receiving members of the public,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.
He proposed considering the possibility of organising separate areas within the shelters for the receipt and issue of documents. According to the mayor, this would allow people to access the necessary services without leaving their safe haven.
«Air raid alerts can last a long time, but that does not mean the city’s work should come to a standstill. People must be able to access administrative services even during an alert. I am awaiting proposals from the local authorities on where and how such arrangements can be organised,» said the mayor.
At the same time, the head of the Administrative Services Centre, Vladyslav Belan, noted that it would not be easy to fully relocate the centre’s operations to shelters. For many services, staff require access to government registers, the internet, special keys and equipment.
«As for accepting documents directly in the shelters, this issue requires separate consideration. Issuing completed documents there is much simpler. However, the full provision of administrative services requires access to the internet, government registers, the relevant keys and other infrastructure. In effect, this means creating a duplicate of the Administrative Services Centre within the shelter,» he said.
Vladyslav Belan also reminded people that those who missed their appointment due to an air raid alarm can come later that same day or the following day. If they have a ticket or an electronic booking, they must be seen even after the scheduled time has ended.
«It is true that the Administrative Service Centres do not operate during air raid alerts. This operating principle has been in place since the start of the full-scale invasion, and I believe it is the right approach. When an alert is sounded, staff inform visitors and ask everyone to proceed to the shelter. The addresses of the nearest shelters are also displayed in every ASC building. Perhaps we simply need to make people aware of this. This has been standard practice at ASCs for many years. If your booked appointment time coincides with an air raid alert and you miss it, you can come back either on the same day or the next. If you have an appointment, you can present this appointment slip or electronic booking, and you will be seen regardless of whether you missed your appointment or not,» said Vladyslav Belan.
Oleksandr Sienkevych also suggested reviewing the ASCs’ working hours. One option is to split staff into shifts, so that some work in the morning and others until the evening.
«I ask you to work on this idea and put forward proposals so that more people can access this service and so that crowds can be dispersed. In fact, we must adapt together. The number of alerts may increase. Our drone deployment technology is also changing,» the mayor emphasised.
It should be noted that Mykolaiv may also consider setting up a mobile Administrative Service Centre for residents of remote areas of the city, including Ternivka, Velyka Korenykha, Balabanivka and Matviivka.
In total, in 2025, the Administrative Service Centres in Mykolaiv processed over 86,000 applications. The heaviest workload fell on the Administrative Service Centre in the Central District — 39,390 applications, followed by the Inhulskyi District with 29,822; the Korabelnyi District, which resumed operations after refurbishment in April, handled 9,355 applications; and the Zavodskyi District, which began operations in August, processed 7,412 applications.
