Switzerland weighs bunker revival for national defence

Switzerland may resume the operation of once-secret combat bunkers due to the changing security situation amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

According to Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRF), citing Swiss Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Thomas Süssli, Switzerland has a network of secret bunker facilities equipped with embedded mortars.

The last such bunker was opened in 2003 and was decommissioned just a few years later. The Swiss government closed the bunkers for security reasons, but the option to reactivate them remains. In 2018, the Swiss Parliament decided to dismantle around a hundred of these bunkers, though the cost of dismantling was comparable to the cost of building a new network of bunkers.

Six of these facilities were sold to private individuals. One of these combat bunkers, built in 1988 and located in the commune of Trin, is now owned by a museum. Under the retractable roof of such a bunker facility is a dual mortar that can fire at a distance of around eight kilometres, reports SRF. "Most of the bunkers are in very good condition and could be restored in a short time with parliamentary approval," said Süssli.

According to him, from a military standpoint, restoring certain facilities would make sense as they are the only military sites in specific areas. However, some military experts consider the bunker-mounted mortar systems to be "retro nostalgia" because they are stationary and could be destroyed by a targeted strike. The Armed Forces Commander disagrees with this assessment, arguing that combat bunkers are not easily destroyed, even in modern warfare. "A direct hit on the target is required to destroy it," he stated.

In 2023, the Swiss Army stopped selling old bunkers after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On January 8, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call that Switzerland is ready to act as a mediator in the peace process. She also assured him of Switzerland's continued support for Ukraine, particularly in the form of numerous long-term humanitarian and reconstruction projects.

By Tamilla Hasanova