Slovakia is refurbishing its Cold War-era nuclear shelters amid fears of the Ukraine conflict spreading, with the government pledging to double national capacity.
NITRA: The war in neighbouring Ukraine feels distant to many in this Slovak city. Yet the local council is preparing for the worst by revamping its Cold War-era nuclear fallout shelters.
This reflects how the frontline Central European nation views the conflict just over its eastern border. Slovakia has so far been spared the Russian drones that sparked alerts in Poland and Moldova.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is close to the Kremlin and opposes military aid to Ukraine, insists Slovaks have nothing to fear. His government has nonetheless vowed to double the country’s shelter capacity.
Like many in Nitra, businessman Mario Papek does not think there is much to worry about. “The war is in Ukraine, not here,” the 51-year-old told AFP.
However, the city council has repaired its 17 shelters every year since the 2022 invasion. It plans to spend 40,000 euros this year.
City hall spokesman Tomas Holubek said shelter upkeep “wasn’t a priority” before the conflict. He noted that “after the conflict started there was a bit of panic” about what to do if war came.
Many shelters have obsolete ventilation and electrical wiring, according to civil protection officer Dalibor Bubinak. The water supply is also below par.
“None is in a technical condition fit to protect residents from hazardous substances,” Bubinak told AFP from a dilapidated shelter.
Slovakia has around 1,500 such shelters that could take 250,000 people. A quarter are in the capital, Bratislava, far from the Ukrainian border.
After Communism fell, many shelters were handed to municipalities or converted into bars. Others were simply abandoned.
“No one knew if they would ever be used again… They were a dead investment,” said Tomas Sliacan, who monitors the shelters’ state.
Last month the government pledged to “increase the current shelter capacity by 100%”. This is part of a new security strategy to raise public preparedness.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok criticised the shelters’ terrible state when he announced an audit last May. He cited “mouldy walls, broken doors and obsolete ventilation”.
The minister said at least 30% of Slovaks should have shelter access by 2040. He suggested the European Union could help pay.
With government funds lacking, some Slovaks are building their own shelters. Peter Bako’s company supplies safety rooms and underground shelters.
Demand has “increased by around 75% annually since 2022”, Bako told AFP. He added that if state civil protection were better, private firms would have less room.
Most people AFP talked to in Nitra had no idea where the nearest shelter was. “I haven’t really looked into it,” said retired doctor Zuzana Nurgasova.
Retired professor Vladimir Popelka said he never felt threatened enough “to look for a place to hide”.
