Review of Shelters and Digital Maps. Another EU Country Prepares for Possible Escalation from the Russian Federation.

The German Ministry of the Interior plans to check the availability of shelters for the civilian population against the backdrop of rising tensions in the war between Russia and Ukraine. This was reported by The Guardian.

A spokesman for the ministry stated that they intend to create a list of available shelters and turn it into an interactive digital map, which will be accessible to Germans through a mobile app. People will also be encouraged to convert their basements and garages into full-fledged protection areas.

Currently, there is a noticeable lack of shelter infrastructure in Germany: the country, with a population of 84 million people, has only 579 bunkers that can accommodate about 480,000 citizens at the same Time. Mainly, these are remnants of facilities built during World War II and the Cold War.

The German intelligence believes that Russia may accumulate military power to attack NATO countries by 2030.

Every family in Norway has received leaflets with a list of supplies that should be kept in case of emergencies. According to an article in The Sunday Times, people are advised to have bottled water, food, candles, radios, cash, and iodine tablets at home. This leaflet was published back in 2018, but has now been revised.

The head of the Directorate for Civil Protection, Elisabeth Aarsäter, talks about increased security risks for the country. 'The 2018 brochure was published with a certain ease. Now it no longer has the same context. This is reality. Six years ago we were talking about supplies of food and water for three days, and now we are asking people to take care of themselves for at least a week,' she says.

Risks for Sweden and Norway

Sweden and Norway, which were 'at the forefront' of creating a 'cashless society', have identified risks that prompted them to abandon their initial plans for security and threats from Russia. The Ministry of Defense recommends that people regularly use cash and have enough cash on hand for at least a week.