Germany Plans Expedited Expansion of Emergency Bunker Network Amidst Russian Threat Concerns
Government officials urge modernization of civil defense shelters as preparedness for potential conflicts is deemed insufficient.
Germany is actively planning to expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters in response to potential threats from Russia, according to senior civil defense officials.
Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), has stated that Europe's largest economy must awaken to the reality of conflict and the inadequacy of its current preparedness.
Tiesler highlighted that Germany's existing civil defense infrastructure is insufficient to handle modern threats.
Out of approximately 2,000 bunkers and shelters constructed during the Cold War in Germany, only around 580 are currently operational, many of which require renovations costing millions of euros.
This capacity would provide refuge for roughly 480,000 people, representing merely half a percent of the German population.
For context, Finland has a vastly larger civil defense capacity, with 50,000 shelters that can accommodate 4.8 million people, or approximately 85 percent of its population.
Tiesler emphasized the necessity of a national effort to identify and convert underground facilities, including tunnels, subway stations, parking garages, and the basements of public buildings into effective shelters capable of housing up to one million individuals.
This initiative arises as part of a broader recognition within Germany of potential security threats and represents a shift towards enhancing the nation’s civil resilience amid geopolitical tensions in Europe.
Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), has stated that Europe's largest economy must awaken to the reality of conflict and the inadequacy of its current preparedness.
Tiesler highlighted that Germany's existing civil defense infrastructure is insufficient to handle modern threats.
Out of approximately 2,000 bunkers and shelters constructed during the Cold War in Germany, only around 580 are currently operational, many of which require renovations costing millions of euros.
This capacity would provide refuge for roughly 480,000 people, representing merely half a percent of the German population.
For context, Finland has a vastly larger civil defense capacity, with 50,000 shelters that can accommodate 4.8 million people, or approximately 85 percent of its population.
Tiesler emphasized the necessity of a national effort to identify and convert underground facilities, including tunnels, subway stations, parking garages, and the basements of public buildings into effective shelters capable of housing up to one million individuals.
This initiative arises as part of a broader recognition within Germany of potential security threats and represents a shift towards enhancing the nation’s civil resilience amid geopolitical tensions in Europe.
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