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Germany is drawing up plans to rapidly expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters, the government’s most senior civilian protection official has said, warning the state needs to be prepared for an attack from Russia within the next four years.
Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), said Europe’s largest economy needed to wake up to the reality of conflict, and that in its current state Germany was inadequately prepared.
“For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe,” he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung news outlet.
Tiesler called for a national effort to pinpoint and turn tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, car parks and the cellars of public buildings into protective shelters to “quickly create space for 1 million people”. He said his agency will present a comprehensive plan later this summer.
He added that the country was in a race against time, and to rely on the construction of new bunker facilities was insufficient. Such shelters would take a long time to plan and construct and be very costly, Tiesler said. As a result, existing structures needed to be closely considered more immediately.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has caused fears in other countries, especially in Baltic states but also in Poland and Germany, that Moscow could open new fronts in Europe.
Overnight, Russian forces launched missile and bomb strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, leaving three people dead and 22 injured. The mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said in a post on Telegram on Saturday that the city was “experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war”.
Of about 2,000 bunkers in Germany and protection rooms left over from the cold war, only about 580 are in working order and most need multimillion-euro revamps. They would shelter about 480,000 people, just half a percent of the German population. In comparison, the BBK said that Finland has 50,000 protection rooms, amounting to space for 4.8 million people, or 85% of its population.
Tiesler said efforts also needed to be put into fine-tuning information systems, such as apps and road signs, to share with the public exactly where they could seek shelter, as well as upgrading warning sirens. Existing warning apps also needed to be better protected from hackers, he said.
He urged Friedrich Merz’s government to ensure funding was in place to enforce his agency’s plans. It has agreed the plans are necessary but has yet to formally prescribe funds.
Money is expected to be made available from the billions unleashed after parliament suspended Germany’s debt brake in March, allowing large amounts of spending to take place in the military, vital infrastructure – such as bridges and roads enabling them to carry tanks and supplies – and civil defence.
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Intelligence services and cybersecurity structures, which are in vital need of investment, are also competing for the funds.
Tiesler estimated at least €10bn (£8.4bn) would be needed over the next four years to cover civil defence needs, and at least €30bn over the next decade.
He also called for the establishment of a compulsory or voluntary civil protection service and urged citizens to contribute to making the country more resilient by stocking up on emergency supplies in the case of power and water shortages. “Our appeal is: build up enough supplies to last you 10 days, if possible,” he told the newspaper, reflecting similar calls by other European governments.
“But even a supply for at least 72 hours would be very helpful,” Tiesler added. “This can be used to bridge minor interruptions in everyday life.”
