Warsaw is inspecting thousands of protective shelters amid renewed security concerns.

Polish authorities have launched nationwide inspections of bomb shelters to gauge their readiness as temporary protective facilities, stepping up civil defence measures after recent Russian drone incursions. The State Fire Service, working with local building inspectors, has carried out more than 2,000 checks, finding over 1,000 sites fit for emergency use.

The drive follows a 10 September incident in which drones entered Polish airspace from Belarus during Russian strikes on Ukraine. While Moscow said it did not intend to hit Poland, Warsaw has treated the breach as a provocation. NATO air policing jets were scrambled in response, according to Polish officials.

The inspections form part of the 2025–2026 population protection and civil defence programme (OLiOC), which will channel nearly 5 billion zlotys into modernising shelters, constructing new facilities and upgrading warning systems. Funding will prioritise eastern regions under the East Shield initiative, though cities deemed at higher risk will also receive support. New rules oblige local authorities to map potential protective spaces, including basements and newly built structures, with owners eligible for subsidies covering up to 100% of equipment costs.

Schools are included in the plans, with shelter renovations intended to protect pupils and staff. In parallel, Ukraine and Poland have agreed to establish a joint task force on unmanned systems, announced by Ukraine’s Denys Shmyhal alongside Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, to support training and deploy newer protection technologies.

Source: Kyiv Independent.