Germany has begun fortifying its subterranean shelters and stockpiling crisis supplies in case of war, according to the daily Welt am Sonntag, citing the country’s interior minister.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has prompted a fundamental policy shift in Germany, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz promising to increase defence expenditure and pump 100 billion euros ($109 billion) into the army after decades of attrition.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the newspaper that the government is looking into modernising its public shelter systems and will increase spending on civil protection.
‘In Germany, there are now 599 public shelters. We’ll see if we can improve any more of these systems. In any event, the deconstruction has come to a halt,’ she said.
Germany is developing new concepts for fortifying subterranean parking lots, subway stations, and basements so that they may be used as shelters, she said, adding that the government has allocated 88 million euros to the federal states for the installation of new sirens.
‘However, in terms of nationwide coverage, we’re not even close,’ Faeser remarked.
She also stated that the country will stockpile emergency supplies such as medical equipment, protective clothes, masks, and pharmaceuticals.
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