Baltic States Turn to Ukraine for Shelter Expertise

The Baltic states are stepping up preparations for possible Russian aggression and are turning to Ukraine’s wartime experience. According to Ukrainian defense industry officials, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are discussing modern bomb shelters and civil protection systems with Ukrainian companies and experts.

Ihor Fedirko, CEO and executive director of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, said the Baltic states were preparing above all for the first hours of a possible conflict with Russia. “They are not huge countries. They’re trying to find the best solutions against the Russian aggression, if it will happen”, he told Politico.

Concerns in the region have been heightened by recent drone incidents near NATO’s eastern flank. In Lithuania, residents of Vilnius were briefly told to seek shelter last week after a suspected drone was detected near the Belarusian border, while similar incidents have also been reported in Estonia and Latvia.

Ukrainian companies say the discussions are not only about the shelters themselves, but also about practical lessons learned during Russia’s invasion. Steelmaker Metinvest is already in talks on possible protective shelters against drone and missile attacks.

Russia has sharply intensified its attacks on Ukraine in recent months, regularly sending hundreds of drones overnight. The Baltic states fear that their small size and population density could leave them especially vulnerable in the event of a similar assault.

(max)