Ukraine’s new law: a bomb shelter within 10 minutes of everyone.

Ukraine’s parliament took a major step toward protecting its citizens from Russian strikes. On Tuesday, lawmakers approved a bill in its first reading that would require bomb shelters to be within a 10-minute walk for every person in the country. The move comes as tens of thousands of Ukrainians continue to spend their nights in metro stations, fleeing the constant threat of missile and drone attacks. The new law, modeled on Finland’s civil defense system, aims to make shelter access a legal right rather than a gamble. Under the proposed rules, local authorities must build or designate new shelters, and ensure existing ones are open and maintained. The bill still needs a second and final vote before it becomes law, but the early approval signals strong political will. Officials say the goal is simple: no matter where you are—home, work, or school—you should never be more than a short run from safety. For a country at war, that ten minutes could mean the difference between life and death.