Berlin

Germany is officially asking its citizens to prepare for war. The country’s interior ministry has reportedly prepared a list of state buildings, underground train stations and even private properties that can be used as emergency shelters for nearby civilians during an event of war. Civilians will be able to locate nearby bunkers using a phone app. The ministry is also urging residents to convert their basements and garages into protective shelters.

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A spokesperson for the ministry said it was a “big project” that would take time and would be materialised with the help of the Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance and other authorities.

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The number of bunkers in the European country has reduced over the last decades of peace, down from 2,000 to now just below 600. Most of them were built during the Second World War and the Cold War era. Collectively, these bunkers can provide shelter to only 480,000 people in a country of more than 84 million.

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The decision to draw up a list of bunkers has been taken amid heightened tensions with Russia. German officials claim they are already witnessing a sharp rise in cyber and sabotage attacks from Russia-backed actors.

According to Ralph Tiesler, head of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, it may take an entire generation for Germany to rebuild or revive its network of bunkers.

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According to the report, Berlin is taking these measures under its so-called Operation Plan Germany. The plan involves radical initiatives by federal and state governments, the military, security agencies, and emergency services coordinating to fortify the nation’s defence capabilities.

The plan also involves regular consultation between German businesses and the military for war preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)