Baltics turn to Ukraine for bomb shelter expertise amid drone fears

PRAGUE — As drones from the war in Ukraine increasingly stray into the airspace of EU countries and Moscow’s war machine churns out mass aerial barrages, the Baltics are seeking Ukrainian know-how on bomb shelters.

Baltic companies have approached Ukrainian defense manufacturers and civil protection experts in recent weeks to discuss buying bomb shelters, said Ihor Fedirko, the chief of one of Ukraine’s leading defense industry groups.

“Yes, it’s true,” Fedirko, CEO and executive director of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, told POLITICO in an interview on the sidelines of the May 21-23 GLOBSEC Forum in Prague. “They are not huge countries. They’re trying to find the best solutions against the Russian aggression, if it will happen. To keep safe and sound their people.”

Last week Lithuania’s president and prime minister were rushed to underground bunkers and residents of Vilnius were urged to take shelter after a drone violated the country’s airspace.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense said the unmanned drone was spotted near the border with Belarus and confirmed that NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission had been activated. Military authorities said the incident was "similar to what we have been seeing in recent days in Latvia and Estonia."

The conversations about bomb shelters reflect growing alarm across NATO’s eastern flank over the scale and intensity of Russia’s drone campaign against Ukraine — and fears that even a limited incursion or spillover attack could overwhelm defenses in the opening stages of a conflict.

Amid the heightened state of alert, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius head to Lithuania on Tuesday for a meeting with Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and other Baltic leaders.

Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told POLITICO that his country had long been prepared for Russian attacks and had sufficient expertise to protect its people. A spokesperson for Lithuania's foreign ministry said they had no information about the discussions on bomb shelters, but that "experience gained in Ukraine is highly valuable for strengthening preparedness in Lithuania" and helped to transfer "practical knowledge, improve our competences ... to enhance civil protection and resilience systems."

The spokesperson added that Lithuania was helping to build shelters in Ukraine as part of an EU program.

Latvia's foreign minister did not respond to a request for comment.

“We know that they [the Baltics] have mechanisms of evacuation, so they are prepared well,” Fedirko said. “But as well they know, these first hours of aggression will be really dangerous.”

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, the CEO of major Ukrainian steel producer Metinvest, said his firm had held early-stage talks with Baltic governments about building shelters to protect against potential drone attacks.

The steel company, whose key shareholder is Rinat Akhmetov, one of Ukraine's wealthiest people, branched into building shelters after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Originally focused on civilian shelters, Metinvest now equips Ukrainian frontline positions with both above- and below-ground shelters to shield against missile and drone attacks.

The recent increase in drone incursions into Baltic countries — including Ukrainian drones diverted from their course by what is believed to be Russian interference — has bolstered interest in Ukrainian expertise. "Anyone can build a bomb shelter, but what's valuable is the tactical know-how," Ryzhenkov said.

Russia has increasingly saturated Ukrainian air defenses with waves of drones and missiles, launching hundreds of Iranian-designed Shahed drones alongside ballistic and cruise missiles.

“Russians launch more than 700, 800 drones just per one night,” Fedirko said. “And for countries which are not so huge like Ukraine, it will be a disaster.”

Baltic officials worry that their smaller geographic area and concentrated urban populations would leave little margin for error in the event of a large-scale attack.

"This is the new reality, actually, what Baltic states face," Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said in a TV interview last week. "So we need to adapt."

The growing anxiety has even affected Baltic real estate markets. In Vilnius, basement properties and fortified underground spaces appeared in property listings in the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, marketed as potential shelters in the event of shelling or drone attacks.

“It’s a nightmare and I understand them,” Fedirko said. “They want to defend their people in the first hours [after a potential Russian invasion].”

As Russia’s drone production surges and European intelligence agencies warn Moscow could pose a direct military threat to NATO within years, governments on the alliance’s eastern edge are racing to implement Ukrainian expertise.

“We are ready to help them,” Fedirko said, “and I think that as well in this domain of shelters.”