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Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Germany planning major bunker expansion
Germany is accelerating plans to expand and modernize its civil defense infrastructure amid a wide militarization drive in Western Europe, in preparation for a potential direct confrontation with Russia, according to Ralph Tiesler, head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). Germany currently has only 580 operational shelters with room for about 480,000 people – less than 1% of the population. In a series of interviews with German media last week, Tiesler said that to address this shortfall, the BBK plans to convert underground garages, metro tunnels, and public basements into shelters capable of accommodating one million people, complete with food, toilets and sleeping areas. 'New bunkers with the highest protection standards cost a lot of money and take time. We need faster solutions,' Tiesler told the Suddeutsche Zeitung, noting that a full national shelter plan is expected to be presented later this summer. 'Nearly every basement can become a safe place in the event of an attack,' he said in a separate interview with Zeit, encouraging citizens to reinforce windows, stock essentials, and prepare to shelter for extended periods. Tiesler called a scenario involving Russian tanks rolling into Berlin unlikely – but warned that as a major NATO logistical hub, Germany would become a target for 'selective strikes' in the event of an eastern front conflict. German hospitals are being assessed for their ability to treat mass casualties, with Tiesler warning that the health system could face up to 1,000 additional patients per day in a wartime setting. Other plans include doubling the number of warning sirens nationwide, upgrading emergency apps to include missile strike instructions, and possibly introducing a national civil service requirement. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced last month that he intends to make the Bundeswehr the 'strongest army' on the continent. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reportedly hopes for a 'drastic increase' to the country's military budget, up to €90 billion ($102 billion) by 2028. Tiesler has insisted that civil protection must not be neglected, calling for €30 billion over the next decade – including at least €10 billion by 2029, the year German officials have repeatedly cited as the deadline for Berlin to be "ready for war.' Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO or EU countries as 'utter nonsense,' accusing the West of using fear to justify soaring defense budgets. Russian officials have also condemned Western Europe's militarization drive, expressing concern that, rather than supporting US-led peace initiatives for the Ukraine conflict, the EU and UK are instead gearing up for war with Russia. According to a recent survey, Germany has now replaced the US as the country Russians view as most unfriendly. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently stated that Germany's military buildup and arms deliveries to Kiev show Berlin's 'direct involvement' in the conflict. He warned that the country is 'sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – toward its own collapse.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany plans expansion of air raid shelters amid growing Russian threats, official says
Germany is planning to quickly expand it network of air raid shelters and bunkers, in preparation for a potential Russian attack on the country, Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance said. "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," Tiesler told the German Suddeutsche Zeitung news outlet on June 5. Tiesler, the official in charge of civilian protection in Germany, said that only 580 of the country's 2,000 cold war-era bunkers were in working order. In its current condition, the shelters would house 480,000 people, a small fraction of the country's population that total 83 million people. "We must quickly create space for 1 million people," Tiesler said. "Existing structures must be assessed and adapted without delay," warning that solely constructing new shelters would take too long. The focus on revamping shelters comes amid ongoing fears that Russia may attack a NATO country within the next decade. Germany's Defense Chief Carsten Breuer told BBC on June 1 that allies need to be prepared for an attack within the next four years. "There's an intent and there's a build up of the stocks," Breuer said. "This is what the analysts are assessing - in 2029. So we have to be ready by 2029... If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that's not earlier than 2029? I would say no, it's not. So we must be able to fight tonight." Breuer's comments were the latest in a series of increasingly dire warnings from Western leaders and defense officials about the threat emanating from Russia and Europe's current lack of preparedness. Tiesler said that Germany would need to spend at least 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) to cover civil defense needs over the next four years, and 30 billion euros ($34 billion) over the next 10 years. Tiesler's office is expected to produce a detailed plan to the shelters' expansion, as well as addition civil defense needs this summer. As concerns as to where Russia may launch an initial incursion into NATO territory mount, Russia has continued to restructure its military presence along its Baltic flank. Analysts and military experts believe that Russia may launch on initial attack on a country in the Baltic Sea region, given its strategic positioning and surroundings, including the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Read also: Russian Baltic Sea provocations 'increasing threat of accidental military incidents,' Latvian intelligence says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
