 "'Bomb shelters instead of swimming pools': Poland mandates bunkers in new buildings amid Russian threat")
Amid escalating regional tensions and the persistent shadow of the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine, Poland has launched an ambitious, multi-billion-euro race to rebuild its national civil defence. The initiative, centred on a massive expansion of bomb shelters, will rectify decades of neglect that officials now describe as a critical vulnerability.
A ‘gigantic problem’
For years, Poland focused its record-breaking defence spending—nearly 5% of its GDP—on tanks, jets, and missiles. However, the protection of its 38 million citizens remained largely overlooked. Most existing shelters are crumbling relics of the Cold War era.
“It is a gigantic problem,” said Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau and advisor to President Karol Nawrocki, in a recent interview with the Financial Times. “Poland in recent years has focused on modernising the armed forces and forgot about this. We really have to increase our civilian resilience.”
Recent audits by the State Fire Service also point towards the urgency. While broader facilities like metro stations could technically house millions, only about 300,000 people can currently be accommodated in designated, high-quality bomb shelters.
The $4.46 billion shield
In response, the Polish government has allocated 16 billion zloty (approximately $4.46 billion) for 2025–2026 to modernise existing bunkers and construct new ones. A landmark Civil Protection Act, which came into force in early 2025, now mandates that real estate developers incorporate shelter spaces into most new residential and public buildings.
Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has even urged local governments to rethink their priorities. During the InfoSecurity24Day conference, he pointedly asked:
“Maybe it’s better to have a shelter instead of a swimming pool?”
Siemoniak emphasised that while local authorities make the final call, the era of discretionary safety budgets is effectively over.
Quick Reads
View AllThe government is looking toward the “Finnish model”—where cities like Helsinki feature sprawling underground networks equipped with gyms and playgrounds—as the gold standard. In Warsaw, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced a project to adapt parts of the capital’s metro system to hold 100,000 people, complete with emergency water supplies, camp beds, and blankets.
“Protecting civilians is not as easy or quick as buying weapons,” cautioned retired General Jarosław Gromadziński. As the 2026 deadline for new construction standards approaches, Poland is betting that this infrastructure will provide the “civilian shield” necessary to match its growing military might.
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