As Lithuania builds bomb shelters by schools, Latvians still rely on basements
While Lithuania is constructing new bomb shelters next to schools, Latvia's shelter network remains incomplete, leaving many residents dependent on unprepared basements. Officials admit that state and municipal buildings alone cannot protect the whole population.
Civil protection has become an increasingly prominent topic in Latvia in recent years, yet the country's shelter network remains far from complete. According to information reported by media in September, shelters identified in state and municipal buildings can accommodate roughly 496,000 people — only about 27% of Latvia's population. The "112 Latvija" app lists 780 shelters, but even this figure does not fully reflect reality, since many of these spaces are basements or other underground rooms that still need to be cleared, adapted and equipped.
Responsibility shared with municipalities and society
Kaspars Āboliņš, deputy state secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, has said that protecting people is not solely a state responsibility — municipalities and society itself must also be involved. The situation is particularly difficult in apartment-block districts, where shelter availability is lower and there is growing discussion about using residential building basements in a crisis.
Lithuania's example
The situation looks different in Lithuania, where, according to a video shared on social media, a new bomb shelter is being built next to a primary school in Kaunas. The video's author explains that the site was chosen strategically — in a depression in the terrain — so that after covering it with earth no visible mound will form, allowing the structure to blend into its surroundings. He says it is already the second public shelter of this type in Lithuania, with several more currently under construction in both Lithuania and Estonia. The shelter will include blast-resistant doors and everything needed to withstand a crisis, and according to the video's author, such shelters can be installed within two to three days, not counting landscaping work. He expressed hope that after upcoming elections, Latvia will follow Lithuania's lead and begin placing shelters for children near schools.
