Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Polish city reopens Cold War shelter as Ukraine attacks intensify
A city in eastern Poland has reopened an old underground shelter.
The shelter was built during the Cold War and has now been upgraded.
It can protect 200 people for three days.
It has its own air, water and electricity supplies.
Poland is worried because Russia is attacking areas of Ukraine near the Polish border.
Polish aircraft are being sent up repeatedly during alerts.
However, many people still do not know where they would go during an attack.
Some residents say they might use a basement or bathroom instead.
The reopened shelter is meant to improve Poland’s readiness for emergencies.
Lublin has reopened and modernized a Cold War-era air raid shelter amid intensified Russian attacks in Ukraine.
The shelter beneath municipal bus operator MPK Lublin can accommodate 200 people for up to 72 hours.
It has independent supplies of air, water and electricity, while its emergency exit now faces west instead of east.
Poland has about 2,000 shelters for roughly 300,000 people, plus more than 86,000 lower-protection refuge locations.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland is repeatedly scrambling aircraft as attacks near its border become more frequent.
- Who
- The city of Lublin, Polish civil-defense officials, residents and Prime Minister Donald Tusk are involved.
- What
- Lublin reopened and modernized a Cold War-era air raid shelter as Poland strengthens civil-defense preparations.
- When
- The report was published on October 2; the shelter was built in the mid-1980s and recently upgraded.
- Where
- Lublin, Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
- Why
- Russian attacks in western Ukraine and repeated airspace incursions have increased concern about security near Poland’s border.
- Shelter capacity
- 200 people
- Shelter endurance
- Up to 72 hours
- Independent systems
- Air, water and electricity independent of external power grids
- Polish shelters
- Around 2,000 shelters for approximately 300,000 people
- Lower-protection refuge places
- More than 86,000 locations for around 23 million people
- Facility operator
- MPK Lublin, the municipal bus operator
- Emergency exit
- Faces west rather than east, reflecting changed perceptions of threats