Against the backdrop of a possible threat from Russian Federation, Germany plans to urgently deploy a network of shelters throughout the country

Germany is preparing a large-scale plan to expand the network of shelters in case of a military threat from Russia. This was announced by the head of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK), Ralf Tisler, in an interview with The Guardian.

According to him, the risk of a full-scale conflict in Europe is becoming more and more real, and a Russian attack could happen in the next four years. Previously, the country lived in an illusion of security, but now the situation requires serious rethinking.

We are concerned about the possibility of a major war of aggression in Europe," Tisler noted.

In preparation for a possible crisis, they plan to convert existing facilities - tunnels, metro stations, underground car parks and basements of public buildings - into shelters that can temporarily protect about one million people. A detailed infrastructure modernisation plan will be presented this summer.

Tisler emphasised that building new bomb shelters is a long and costly process, so the focus is on adapting existing facilities. In Germany, only 580 of the approximately 2,000 Cold War shelters are currently in operation, which protects less than 1 per cent of the population. In Finland, by comparison, there are about 50,000 shelters in operation for 85 per cent of the population.

In addition, the country plans to improve warning systems, modernise sirens, update mobile apps, install signage to shelters and improve the cyber security of information systems.