Germany is set to invest an additional €10 billion (£8.5 billion) into its civil defence capabilities, a move aimed at bolstering domestic preparedness against emergencies and potential attacks. The investment is part of a broader military spending drive initiated in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Cabinet ministers are scheduled to vote on specific measures this Wednesday, which were initially earmarked last year. The comprehensive plan includes an upgraded medical infrastructure to manage mass casualties, approximately 1,000 specialised vehicles, 110,000 portable cots, alongside improvements to shelters and mass alerting networks.
The funds, committed until 2029, will benefit from a rule passed last year that exempts military spending from Germany's stringent state borrowing limits. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stressed the necessity of this dual approach, stating: 'We cannot talk about defence capabilities and invest in them without also giving civil defence the support it needs.'
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed the €10 billion allocation for civil defence in an interview with Bild newspaper published on Sunday. Germany is also responding to threats of extremism and so-called hybrid warfare, which might include attacks on the electricity grid and disinformation campaigns.
After Russia's invasion, Germany moved to upgrade its public shelter system. The country currently has 579 shelters for around 480,000 people, many of which have not been in use since the Cold War. Meanwhile, Germany's armed forces will support Turkey's air defence capacities within NATO by deploying a Patriot air and missile defence task force to the country from the end of next month.
