Lithuania pours €16 million into civil defence shelter upgrades

Lithuania’s Ministry of the Interior has allocated €16 million to municipalities to modernize civil defence shelters across the country.

The ministry said the funding is intended to support upgrades to existing shelters and improve their capacity to protect residents.

The ministry has also raised the maximum amount local authorities can allocate to the modernization of a standard civil defence shelter, increasing it from €40,000 to €55,000.

Under the government’s targets, municipalities are expected to ensure shelter capacity for at least 60% of residents in urban areas and 40% of those living in rural areas.

Lithuania currently has more than 6,500 civil defence shelters with a combined capacity of around 1.6 million people, equivalent to 56% of the country’s population.

By Vafa Guliyeva