[D66] Germany plans rapid bunker expansion amid fears of Russian attack

[René Oudeweg]

  theguardian.com
Germany plans rapid bunker expansion amid fears of Russian attack
Sat 7 Jun 2025 17.00 CEST
Kate Connolly
4–5 minutes

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.

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.”