Citing a draft document from Germany’s Defense Ministry, local  newspaper reported that Germans are expected to build their own bomb shelters as the country’s national draft emergency defense plan has already assigned the construction roles to civilians.

With only 579 functional bomb shelters in Germany, the government is counting on its citizens to convert their own homes into “fallout” shelters, setting up their own reinforced shelters in places such as basements and garages, in case a major war breaks out in Europe. Also, they quoted the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance Ralph Tiesler in saying that building new shelters by the government is “no longer feasible” due to time constraints.

By April, the ministry is set to complete work on the classified “Operational Plan” (OPLAN), the newspaper indicated in the report. As per the draft document, Germany is seen as a “transit country” that plays a crucial role in the delivery of weapons and equipment, rather than just a state with an active frontline. So, soldiers would be tasked with securing key highways, railway stations and ports. The government also now relies on its citizens to step in and cover some duties typically assigned to the military and police, including the protection of power plants.

The preparations come amid a threat rooted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the German leadership is looking into ways to boost its arms and increase the size of the Bundeswehr. A secret document allegedly indicated that the German Armed Forces are preparing for a potential hybrid attack by Russia on NATO’s eastern flank as early as February. The confidential document reportedly detailed how a conflict between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s army and NATO might arise, with events unfolding month by month.

The culmination involves the deployment of hundreds of thousands of NATO soldiers and the start of the war in the summer of 2025.

However, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who has frequently called for Germany to become “war ready” since becoming defense minister a year ago, warned again earlier in the month that Russia could attack a NATO country but “within five to eight years.” He later somewhat adjusted his assessment, telling the media outlet on Friday that at the moment, he “doesn’t see any danger of a Russian attack on NATO territory or any NATO partner country.”

However, he stressed that this is just a “snapshot” of the current situation and there is really no way of knowing how things would turn out in the future.

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly accused NATO of fearmongering and stoking tensions in Europe. The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin recently dismissed the claims that Moscow is planning an attack on NATO as “informational warfare.”  Read more here…