Germany  works on an extended civilian shelter idea with a focus on home defense

According to the German interior ministry, the country is now developing a plan to increase the number of shelters accessible to civilians by examining both public and private establishments that might be converted if needed. According to a ministry official on Monday, basements, subterranean parking lots, and subway stations might be transformed into shelters. A dedicated app would indicate the location of the nearest bunker.

Bild newspaper, which reported on the so-called “bunker plan” earlier on Monday, said the concept was being developed in response to the worsening international threat situation.

However, the spokesperson did not mention the current situation and also did not say when the concept would be ready.

Civil protection organizations in Germany have been calling for a faster expansion of shelters, which includes the construction of structures in which up to 5,000 people are to be accommodated in a short space of time.

With a capacity of about 480,000, there are presently 579 public shelters designated for civil protection. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 elevated the possibility of a larger escalation on the European continent, Germany has been concentrating more on defense on its own territory.
A top NATO military officer on Monday urged companies to prepare for a warfare scenario and modify their production and distribution lines appropriately, demonstrating the urgency of preparations and making them less susceptible to blackmail from nations like China and Russia.

The federal and state governments, the army, security agencies, and emergency services are coordinating how they could protect the nation in the case of a conflict under Operation Plan Germany, which was covered by German media earlier this month. “State army representatives are regularly invited to inform businesses about what general points they should consider in their preparations as part of the plan, which is confidential,” a German defense ministry spokesperson said last week.