Property Insurance in Wartime: How to Protect Your Home from Missile Strikes and UAVs

The war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has brought radical changes to the legal regulation of civil relations. It is important to understand that the introduction of martial law itself does not cancel insurance contracts: the rights and obligations of the parties remain valid, although with certain reservations regarding force majeure circumstances.

Today, the insurance institution has evolved from passive protection to an effective tool for economic recovery. Homeowners face three scenarios: cover losses independently, wait for state assistance or reparations, or use commercial insurance protection.

In 2022, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognized the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine as a force majeure circumstance (an irresistible force). In the field of property insurance, establishing a causal link between military actions and the damage caused is decisive. The confirmation of such a link determines the assessment of the insured event and the possibility of receiving insurance compensation according to the terms of the specific insurance contract.

At the same time, the National Bank of Ukraine recommended insurance companies to simplify the procedures for settling insurance claims as much as possible, including using electronic document flow, remote submission of claims, and other digital interaction mechanisms with policyholders.

War Risk Insurance

Traditional property insurance for citizens usually covers fires, natural disasters, or flooding, but classifies hostilities as force majeure, which exempts the company from payments. Considering the realities of the full-scale invasion, insurers have developed separate modules or standalone products. These policies are adapted to wartime conditions and allow owners and even tenants (with the owner's consent) to transfer the financial burden of home restoration to the insurance company.

Insurance companies offer coverage for various types of residential real estate, including apartments, private houses, summer cottages, and capital outbuildings specified in technical documentation. Besides the building itself, insurance may cover interior finishes, engineering communications, as well as movable property—furniture, household appliances, and other equipment. Some insurance programs also provide the possibility to insure specific objects, such as solar power plants or solar panels.

What Does a "War" Policy Cover?

War insurance policies generally cover risks of damage or destruction of property due to direct or indirect hits by missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other means of destruction. Insurance events may also include falling debris from aircraft or ammunition, consequences of air defense and missile defense systems, as well as explosion waves, fires, or gas explosions caused by such events.

Important: the specific list of risks and exclusions is determined by the terms of the insurance contract and may vary depending on the insurance company.

Territorial and Temporal Traps

At the same time, war risk insurance contracts contain a number of significant restrictions that property owners should pay special attention to. First of all, most insurers do not extend coverage to objects located in temporarily occupied territories or in areas of active hostilities.

Additionally, some insurance companies impose geographical restrictions. In particular, some insurers do not accept real estate located less than 100 kilometers from the front line or the state border with Russia or Belarus, while in some programs this distance may be up to 150 kilometers.

Another common condition is the so-called waiting period. Usually, insurance protection does not start immediately after the contract is concluded and the insurance payment is made, but after 7–15 days. This mechanism is designed to prevent insuring property immediately before an obvious threat arises.

Some contracts also exclude insurance coverage if the damaged property is located near military facilities, equipment, or deployment sites of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the list of such exclusions, as well as territorial restrictions, is determined by the terms of the specific insurance contract, so it is advisable to carefully review all policy provisions before concluding it.

How to Receive Insurance Compensation for War Risks: What the Homeowner Needs to Do

Receiving insurance compensation for damage to housing caused by military actions requires following a special procedure. Unlike ordinary insurance cases, the policyholder must not only notify the insurance company but also perform a number of mandatory legal actions.

First, after the property is damaged, it is necessary to notify the police and the State Emergency Service within 24 hours. This allows officially recording the fact of destruction and the circumstances of the event.

One of the key conditions of most war risk insurance programs is opening a criminal case under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Violation of the laws and customs of war"). For this, the property owner must submit the appropriate application to law enforcement agencies and provide the insurance company with an extract from the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations (URPI).

Before the inspection by the insurance company’s representative, the owner is also advised not to start repair work or alter the condition of the damaged property, as this may complicate determining the causes and extent of the damage.

It is also important to consider the interaction of insurance compensation with the state program "eRecovery." If the owner simultaneously applied for state compensation, the insurance company may take the amount of such assistance into account when determining the final amount of the insurance payment according to the terms of the insurance contract.

Insurance of Rented Housing

Tenants can also insure housing against war risks, but only with the consent of the property owner. Insurance may cover not only the apartment but also the tenant’s own property and expenses incurred for arranging the housing.

In particular, the tenant can insure their own belongings—furniture, household appliances, computer equipment, and other property—as well as funds invested in repairing the rented apartment. To do this, it is necessary to confirm their insurable interest with a lease agreement.

What to Pay Attention To

Insurance of housing against the consequences of war is gradually becoming one of the most common insurance products in Ukraine. Unlike the state program "eRecovery," an insurance policy allows compensation not only for damage to the real estate itself but also for destroyed furniture, household appliances, interior finishes, and other property, if provided for by the contract.

At the same time, before concluding a contract, it is important to carefully review its terms. Special attention should be paid to territorial restrictions, and the list of insured risks should be checked, as some policies cover only the consequences of missile strikes or drone attacks, but not damage caused by artillery shelling.

Before signing the contract, be sure to check whether your city is not on the exclusion list (due to proximity to the front) and whether the policy includes coverage for the "shock wave," which is the most common cause of damage to windows and interior finishes.

Equally important is the correct documentation after the insured event occurs. One of the key requirements of most insurers is the presence of an extract from the URPI about the opening of a criminal case, confirming the connection of property damage with military aggression.

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