In the context of Europe accelerating the arms race, Germany is preparing for a direct conflict with Russia by strengthening its civil defense system.
According to Ralph Tiesler, head of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Support (BBK), Berlin is pushing for an ambitious plan to expand and modernize shelters nationwide.
Currently, Germany only has 580 operating sanctuaries with a capacity of about 480,000 people - less than 1% of the population. To overcome this situation, BBK plans to convert underground parking lots, metro tunnels and public basements into shelters for about 1 million people, fully equipped with food, toilets and accommodation.
"Building a new tunnel with high protection standards is very expensive and time-consuming. We need a faster solution, said Mr. Tiesler. He stressed that the national plan for the tunnel is expected to be announced this summer.
In an interview with the press, tiesler also encouraged people to reinforce their basement windows, stock up on necessities and be prepared for shelter for a long time if needed. Although he believes that the scenario of Russian tanks entering Berlin is unlikely, he warned Germany - as a NATO logistics hub - that could become the target of selective attacks if conflict arises on the eastern front.
In addition, Germany's health system is reviewing its ability to cope with mass casualties, including the scenario of receiving up to 1,000 more patients per day. Other measures include doubling the number of national alert bells, upgrading emergency warning apps to instruct people on missile attacks, and possibly issuing civil service nationwide.
Prime Minister Friedrich Merz had previously said he wanted to turn the Bundeswehr into the Strongest team on the continent. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is pushing the defense budget to 90 billion euros by 2028. Mr. Tiesler affirmed that civil defense cannot be taken lightly, calling for an investment of 30 billion euros in the next decade, of which at least 10 billion must be allocated before 2029 - the time that German officials have repeatedly emphasized is when Berlin must be "prepared for conflict".
Meanwhile, Moscow has dismissed accusations of intending to attack NATO or the EU as completely unreasonable, accusing the West of exploiting fear to justify a spike in defense budgets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Germany's buildup of forces and arms to Kiev demonstrated Berlin's "direct participation" in the conflict, while warning that the country was sliding on the "road of collapse" as it had in the past.
