Switzerland: War in Ukraine brings Cold War shelters back into fashion

The Russian invasion of Ukraine Also “awakened” fears in Switzerlandwhere each resident has secured a place in underground shelters concrete, a practice that goes back to the Cold War and is done again “trend».

These shelters – which had become mandatory in the early years of the 1960s – are part of the Swiss identity such as chocolate, banks and watches, but many are those who use them as warehouses or wine cellars and have forgotten their true function. With reinforced concrete doors about 25 cm thick and walls just as imposing, they should only be constructed under buildings of a certain size.

The country, as reported by the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, follows the principle “A place of protection for every resident”: almost 9 million out of 365,000 private and public shelters, a coverage rate of over 100%.

But there are big regional differences and the Genevafor example, lags behind with a coverage rate of around 75%.

If in this city on the shores of Lake Lehman an owner refuses to build a shelter, he has to pay 800 francs per person (780 euros) tax for a public place, an amount that varies depending on the canton.

These spaces serve “especially in case bombing and nuclear attack for protection from the shock wave, the polluted air “explains to AFP Nicolas Skilaci, head of the Civil Protection and Military Affairs Service in Geneva.

He then sinks into a shelter for about 150 people under a glittering building. The space is used as a cellar in times of peace, but in this one can find special toilets and beds ready to be set up, as well as an outside air filtration system.

Is “a kind of capsule, with emergency exits and airtight main exit. “If the building collapses, the shelter remains intact,” he says.

They usually serve as warehouses, public halls, accommodation for the army, for the temporary reception of asylum seekers or after natural disastersBut they can be emptied in five days or less.

The Swiss Confederation never had to order the descent to the shelters, not even to Chernobyl nuclear accident. With the conflict in Ukrainereturned to the forefront although the most likely scenario remains an incident at a Swiss nuclear power plant.

Faced with public concern, authorities released a list of places and reminded that households should have supplies for at least a week, while residents who do not have private shelters are looking to find the place given to them in group shelters.

To reassure the population, Geneva increased the rate of inspection of shelters.

“The geopolitical situation in Ukraine is a bit of a paradigm shift. There were too many reasonable questions from the citizens. “And some landlords, who preferred to pay the tax, are taking a step back.”

The concern is the same in the mountains as in the canton of Valais.

«People understand that Ukraine is very close. “People and communities are asking a lot of questions,” said Marie-Claude Not-Ecker, head of the canton’s political and military security service.

In order to compensate for the lack of shelters under the houses on the mountain, the Come on has many group shelters. As the Evionaza community of about 1,000 inhabitants, which has a shelter for about 700 people, consisting of 15 dormitories in a row consisting of triple bunk beds with next to each other, with a unique decor of white and yellow walls and ventilation ducts.

In this protected area, as in the rest – apart from the medical centers and administration centers – there is no kitchen.

“The Confederation asked us to be ready. “Today, we are in a state of preparation, we are ready to put the shelters to use,” says North-Ecker.

But the to what extent will Switzerland be affected by the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine will depend on the intensity and proximity of the blows.

“Shelters can offer some to the population temporary protection against radiological events. “A large-scale nuclear war would be catastrophic, however, and no country can be protected from its consequences,” Federal Defense spokesman Andreas Mucher told AFP.

* File photo

Source: News Beast

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