According to Bloomberg, russian state workers are quietly checking basements and other protected facilities, repairing and cleaning installations not used since the Soviet era, according to people familiar with the efforts.
The moves are part of a broader push by authorities to make sure civil-defense infrastructure is ready in case of a wider conflict, people familiar with the situation said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t public.
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The campaign hasn’t been officially announced and isn’t driven by any particular threats or plans to make use of the civil-defense infrastructure, the people said. But after the Kremlin’s sudden call-up of 300,000 reservists starting in September was plagued by bureaucratic bungles and setbacks, the authorities are taking no chances with other war-related preparations.
The bomb-shelter drive is another example of how the invasion, now in its ninth month, is triggering a broader militarization of Russian society. Kremlin officials portray the war as an existential one between Russia and the US, a characterization Washington rejects. Russian education officials this week said they would reinstate Soviet-era basic military training in schools across the country starting next year.
The inspections and cleanups of civil-defense facilities, which were commonly built in the basements of apartment buildings, schools and government offices in the Soviet era, are taking place in cities across the country, according to the people familiar with the situation.
Word of some of them has leaked out in social media at times, prompting local officials to deny any special campaign. Last month, the health ministry issued a statement to say it’s not installing operating rooms in shelters, while Moscow education officials denied schools are being checked.
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