Germany is accelerating preparations for the threat of a Russian attack

The German government has begun an active preparation process for possible military threats. The Federal Agency for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) will present a plan this summer to rebuild and expand the bomb shelter and shelter infrastructure throughout the country. This was reported by the Suddeutsche Zeitung.

According to the head of the agency, Ralf Tisler, the country is in a “race against time” and the possibility of war cannot be ruled out in the current geopolitical situation:

“For many years, war in Germany was seen as a fantasy scenario that did not require preparation. Now this theory has changed. There is a risk of a major military conflict on European territory and we have to prepare now.”

The head of the BBK proposes to review existing tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, parking lots and basements of public buildings and turn them into emergency shelters in case of emergency. This, according to his calculations, will allow 1 million people to be placed in a closed and protected place in a short time.

Experts note that building modern bunkers from scratch is very expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is important to use existing civilian facilities effectively. Tisler stressed the need for an “urgent and careful analysis” of available resources.

In addition, Germany plans to modernize its emergency notification system. This will include siren signals, mobile applications, special road signs and tools to help quickly evacuate citizens in dangerous situations. According to the government, a complete reform of the civil protection sector will require at least 10 billion euros over four years and 30 billion euros over the next decade.

It is worth noting that of the approximately 2,000 bunkers built during the Cold War, only a quarter are currently operational. They are able to protect only 450,000 citizens, which is only 0.5% of the country's population.