Germany has been forced to admit it is not ready to protect its 83 million population should a third world war break out, as nearly all its bomb shelters have been repurposed. Many fear the deteriorating situation with Russians means we are on the brink of the first global war in 80 years, with several countries preparing its people for if the worst was to happen.
The UK has a legion of nuclear bunkers, most left over from the dark days of the Cold War, buried deep underground around the country, which would be capable of protecting at least some people. Earlier this year Germany joined the likes of Finland and Norway in sending out pamphlets telling people how to stay safe.
However, it seems if the bombs were to be sent flying the Germans would have precious few places to go. The Federal Agency for Real Estate (BImA) and the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance in Germany, reports none of the 579 bunkers in the country are ready for use.
German bunker expert Jorg Diester told Die Stern newspaper: “It’s a very, very difficult situation we have here. The perception in the areas of military and civil defense was we no longer faced a threat.
“Then the Bundeswehr (German armed forces ) was largely disarmed, and exactly the same thing happened in the area of civil defense.
“This did not mean the existing shelters were closed, but rather they entered a so-called declassification process.”
The only people in Germany who would be safe are war preppers who have their own bunkers standing ready in gardens and allotments which are filled with supplies for if the worst was to happen. In the UK Britain has a huge network of nuclear bunkers, potentially ready in case tyrant Vladimir Putin decides to take the nuclear option.
Research by Subterranea Britannica shows there are 276 littered throughout the nation, capable of keeping at least some of the population safe from the worst of the radioactive fallout – although some are out of use. In heavily populated areas, such as London, there are dozens of bunkers, while others- such as the Isle of Wight and Isle of Man, have just one option.
It comes as RAF fighter jets rushed to defend Nato airspace from Vladimir Putin’s warplanes twice in less than 48 hours. The British Typhoons, stationed in Eastern Europe, sprung into action to stop Russian planes leaving their borders and entering Nato airspace.
RAF troops first reacted on Tuesday when two Typhoons – at Malbork Air Base, in Poland – were rushed to stop one of Moscow spy planes from flying over the Baltic Sea.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.