If hostilities end in 2025, Ukraine’s passive fire protection market could grow approximately 2.5 times from 2026 to around $25 million, according to Kovlar Group, a manufacturer of passive fire protection products.
According to the company’s experts, based on the preliminary results of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (Rome) and taking into account the priority tasks for reconstruction, a change in the segmentation of the passive fire protection market by type of material is expected. Intumescent coatings for steel will account for the largest share — 35-40%, fire-resistant plasters and slabs — 20-25%, sealing systems for penetrations and protection of engineering communications — 25-30%, materials for wood protection — up to 10%, and ventilation and smoke ducts — 5-10%. There is also a forecast for growth in demand for epoxy and polyurethane fire protection systems for oil and gas infrastructure, energy, and strategic facilities, which was previously limited by the high cost of imported analogues.
Konstantin Kalafat, director of Kovlar Group, emphasized that domestic manufacturers have sufficient capacity to ensure large-scale reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure in the post-war period. In particular, Kovlar Group LLC prioritizes the restoration of the energy sector, where the speed of work, availability of materials, and increased fire safety requirements are crucial.
“The use of Ammokote products ensures the efficiency of fire protection work — our own production reduces logistics times and allows us to quickly deliver large volumes. Local production reduces the cost compared to imported analogues, which is especially important for large-scale restoration projects,” said Konstantin Kalafat, director of the company.
An important factor for reconstruction is the implementation in Ukraine of the law “On the Provision of Construction Products on the Market,” which implements the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 305/2011 and is expected to increase the competitiveness of the Ukrainian fire protection segment in comparison with European products. According to Konstantin Kalafat, Ukrainian manufacturers of fire protection products should actively implement manufacturing and product control technologies in accordance with advanced European standards.
A critically important area of the company’s activity is fire protection of cable lines at energy facilities, where fire safety is a prerequisite for the reliable and uninterrupted operation of power generation, substations, and networks. Kovlar Group offers comprehensive solutions for cable protection: fire-retardant paints, plasters, three types of systems for penetrations, as well as special couplings, seals, and sealants. In the first half of 2025, the company developed Ammokote TOP-W, a universal finishing material for cable communication fire protection systems; certification of Ammokote EP epoxy fire-retardant paint is ongoing.
“The company adheres to transparent competitive procedures and is ready to work within the framework of open tenders, cooperate with government agencies, contractors, and project teams for prompt, safe, and economically sound reconstruction,” emphasized Konstantin Kalafat.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015 in Kyiv and is the largest manufacturer of passive fire protection products in Ukraine. According to OpenDataBot, the company’s authorized capital is UAH 1.2 million, and its ultimate beneficiaries are Kostyantyn Kalafat (40%), Andriy Ozeychuk (35%), and Lyubov Vakhitova (25%). The company’s revenue for 2024 was UAH 91.3705 million, which is twice as much as in 2023, and its net profit was UAH 13.4 million, which is 1.7 times more than in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, the company’s revenue was UAH 13.5 million, with a net income of UAH 1,983,000.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/economic/1101227.html
“Kovlar Group” together with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have developed innovative products for defense purposes, said the head of ‘Kovlar Group’ Konstantin Kalafat in an interview with the agency ‘Interfax-Ukraine’.
“Together with leading institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, we have developed and put into production a universal means for urgent individual decontamination of chemical weapons components and a multilayer anti-radar paint coating.
Now we are developing a fireproof roll material for organization of fast mobile fire protection at defense facilities and during restoration of energy complex structures,” he said.
He emphasized that the production of fireproofing materials is an activity with a high share of intellectual and scientific component.
“Paint, plaster or board intended for fire protection is not an ordinary construction material, which is evaluated by the parameters of aesthetics, durability, resistance to external influences and the like. First of all, fireproofing material is a kind of chemical reactor, the components of which in fire conditions must react with each other, providing standardized indicators of stability of the building structure. Secondly, the fire protection industry is a very dynamic system that constantly requires materials and solutions with high fire protection and performance characteristics. In the last 10 years alone, the requirements for thin coat fire retardant paints have increased from a maximum fire resistance limit of 90 minutes to 180 minutes,” said Kalafat.
The means, which is to enter the fire protection market, is subject to mandatory specialized tests and certification, which determine its fire protection efficiency, which is the result of scientific research to create an effective formulation and verdict, so developed material is promising.
“The main prerequisite for the organization of an enterprise for the production of passive fire protection means is the availability of scientific potential, experience and knowledge that would allow to create a new quality product, competitive in the world market of similar materials,” summarized Kalafat.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015, authorized capital UAH 1.2 million, ultimate beneficiaries Konstantin Kalafat (40%), Andrey Ozeychuk (35%) and Lyubov Vakhitova (25%). According to the data of opendatabot, according to the results of three quarters of 2024, the company received 73 million 726.4 thousand UAH of income; net profit of 10 million 228.6 thousand UAH.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/economic/1050819.html
The share of imported fireproofing materials decreased from 80% in 2016 to 20% in 2024, Kovlar Group CEO Kostiantyn Kalafat said in an interview withInterfax-Ukraine.
He recalled that when the company was launched in 2015, it aimed to use the experience of American builders to create an affordable domestic material for fire protection of steel structures. The company’s first product was the Ammokote GP-240 plaster mix. The company then invested in organizing its own workshop and warehouses, purchasing the necessary equipment, setting up a research laboratory, and developing and testing new fire protection materials, which currently include more than 20 items.
“The availability of high-quality Ammokote fire protection products in the country has created objective conditions for positive changes in the direction of import substitution. Since Kovlar Group entered the Ukrainian fire protection market, there has been a steady decline in the share of fire protection materials imported to Ukraine, from 80% in 2016 to 20% in 2024,” said Mr. Kalafat.
He emphasized that the company has received support and assistance from Kyiv business on its way to becoming a major player.
“We produced the first batches of fireproof plaster at Ukrvermiculite, and fireproof paints at Kompozit, a leading Ukrainian manufacturer. Our company also fruitfully cooperates with the institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on scientific research to develop new innovative fire protection products. On a voluntary basis, we help Ukrainian scientists in organizing pilot production and implementing scientific results,” said Kalafat.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015, its authorized capital is UAH 1.2 million, and its ultimate beneficiaries are Kostiantyn Kalafat (40%), Andriy Ozeychuk (35%), and Liubov Vakhitova (25%). According to the company’s annual reports, in the first three quarters of 2024, the company received UAH 73 million 726.4 thousand in revenue and a net profit of UAH 10 million 228.6 thousand.
The full text of the interview with Konstantin Kalafat will be published on the Interfax-Ukraine website.
According to the expert, about 100,000 tons of fireproof paints, plasters and other products may be needed to restore destroyed real estate.
Research by the Kyiv School of Economics and USAID shows that 90% of the construction materials needed to rebuild Ukraine can be produced locally. At the same time, the director of Kovlar Group, the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fireproofing materials that produces Ammokote products, said that the total capacity of domestic fireproofing manufacturers far exceeds the expected demand during the reconstruction.
“As of today, fire protection materials worth about UAH 1 billion are needed to rebuild the destroyed facilities,” said Konstantin Kalafat, ”At the same time, the use of locally produced products will not only help develop Ukraine’s construction industry and create new jobs, but will also help investors save a lot of money, as Ukrainian products are much cheaper than imported counterparts.
Established in 2015, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection products, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
Established in 2015, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015, its authorized capital is UAH 1.2 million, and its ultimate beneficiaries are Kostiantyn Kalafat (40%), Andrii Ozeychuk (35%), and Liubov Vakhitova (25%). According to the company’s annual reports, in 2023, the company received UAH 42 million 585 thousand in revenue, which is more than four times higher than in 2022; net profit for 2023 was UAH 7.7 million against a net loss of UAH 1.6 million in 2022.
fire protection materials, Kovlar Group, RECONSTRUCTION, Калафат
In the first 9 months of 2024, Kovlar Group’s production increased by 100% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to the company, the main consumers of fire protection in 2024 were system developers of commercial real estate and infrastructure.
“The key components of this growth are the adaptation of the production cycle to wartime conditions and the high competitiveness of Ammokote products,” said Konstantin Kalafat, CEO of Kovlar Group.
Today, the company continues to carry out research and development activities to develop new promising fire protection materials necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine. This allows us to keep the development of the Ukrainian fire protection industry at the global level and significantly reduces the import dependence of the domestic fire protection market.
Today, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection products, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
Thanks to the best price-quality ratio, professional service and high customer confidence, Kovlar Group’s share in the Ukrainian fire protection market in 2024 amounted to 60%, and for some products it reaches 90%. The company announced this in a press release.
According to the company’s co-founder Kostiantyn Kalafat: “In 2016, the then newly established Kovlar Group offered the Ukrainian construction market an affordable fireproof plaster Ammokote GP-240, which completely changed the rules of the game in the segment. Prior to that, the market for fire protection materials was largely divided between unscrupulous Russian manufacturers and importers of European products, who kept the prices for fire protection high. This not only increased construction budgets, but also harmed the development of the steel construction industry in Ukraine, as customers refused to use steel solutions in their projects due to the high cost of fire protection.”
According to him, after the launch of the innovative Ammokote GP-240 gypsum plaster, due to the excellent combination of high fire protection properties and low price, it became so successful that in a few years it occupied about 80% of the plaster fire protection market. This allowed the company to invest in its own production facilities with modern equipment and a large warehouse, as well as in a research laboratory that allows for fire testing and the development of new materials.
Today, the company’s portfolio includes more than 20 different types of fire protection materials. Over the past 6 years, Kovlar Group’s turnover has amounted to about UAH 200 million, of which the company has paid more than UAH 38 million to the Ukrainian budget, which is a record figure for the fire protection segment.
Kovlar Group is owned by three Ukrainian citizens: Konstantin Kalafat, Lyubov Vakhitova and Andrey Ozeychuk.
