Poland Launches Mass Inspection of Bomb Shelters

A process of mass inspection of shelters and hiding places has begun throughout Poland. This step is due to the growing challenges to state security, which have recently manifested themselves in the appearance of unmanned aerial vehicles in the country's airspace.

In response to the current situation, the government has announced a large-scale program for the modernization of civil defense infrastructure, allocating 5 billion zlotys (about 1.25 billion dollars) for this purpose for 2025-2026. By September 12, 2025, the Polish security services had already carried out almost 4,000 inspections in buildings that could serve as shelters or temporary hiding places.

Preliminary results of more than 2,000 inspections carried out by the Polish State Fire Service (PSP) and regional construction supervision inspectorates (PINB) have shown that more than a thousand buildings meet the requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and can be used in case of emergencies. The allocated funds will be directed not only to the repair of existing shelters, but also to the construction of new defensive structures and the development of warning systems. Priority in the program will be given to the regions included in the "Eastern Shield" national defense program, but cities and territories recognized as most vulnerable by the voivodeships will also receive funding.

The new law on population and civil defense obliges local self-government bodies to specify the objects that can be turned into defensive structures. The state has expressed its readiness to compensate up to 100% of the costs incurred by the owners and managers of buildings for the construction of shelters. The program also includes schools, especially the "millennium schools" built in the 1960s, which will be modernized to ensure the safety of students and teachers in case of a threat.

The government's goal is to provide places for collective protection in facilities for at least 50% of the population in urban settlements and 25% in rural areas.

The background of these large-scale measures is further emphasized by recent events. The other day, drones were shot down over government buildings in the central part of Poland.

Earlier, on September 10, fragments of UAVs were found in 17 settlements of five voivodeships. As a result of these events, NATO decided to launch Operation "Eastern Sentry" to strengthen the eastern flank of the alliance, and Germany has already begun to patrol the airspace of Poland.