Germany plans to turn public buildings into bomb shelters

Germany is planning to use metro stations as air raid shelters due to increased tensions with Russia. The Federal Office for Civil Protection is considering converting public buildings into bunkers and developing an app for locating shelters.

Public encouragement for home shelters, particularly in basements, has also emerged. Germany reduced its public bunker network since 2007, but the situation has changed following the Ukraine war and Putin's threats. Currently, there are only 579 public shelters, accommodating around 500,000 people in a country of 84.4 million.

Ralph Tiesler warns that rebuilding a bunker network may take generations, necessitating quicker solutions like identifying metro stations for shelter use. The Christian Democrats (CDU) have criticized preparedness levels and called for immediate action. They highlight Poland's requirement for new buildings to include shelter access starting in 2026.