Lithuania's National Audit Office said that a drone alert in May highlighted critical gaps in the country's access to air-raid shelters.
This deficiency leaves nearly half of the population vulnerable during aerial threats. As regional security tensions persist, the lack of accessible protection creates significant risks for civilians who cannot reach safety quickly during an emergency.
According to data from the end of 2024, Lithuania had a total of 6,344 air-raid shelters [1]. These facilities were estimated to provide protection for only 53% of the population [1].
The National Audit Office said that the current number and distribution of these shelters are insufficient. The May drone alert served as a practical demonstration of these "blind spots," where citizens found themselves without nearby protection while an active threat was present.
The audit indicates that the distribution of the 6,344 existing shelters [1] does not ensure equitable or rapid access across all inhabited areas. This gap in infrastructure means that a substantial portion of the public remains exposed during aerial incursions.
Officials are now facing pressure to address these vulnerabilities. The discrepancy between the total population and the capacity of the available shelters, which only covered 53% of residents at the end of 2024 [1], underscores a systemic failure in civil defense planning.
“Lithuania had 6,344 shelters covering 53% of the population at the end of 2024.”
The findings from the National Audit Office suggest that Lithuania's civil defense infrastructure has not kept pace with the evolving nature of aerial threats, such as drones. By identifying that nearly half the population lacks shelter access, the report signals a need for urgent investment in dual-use infrastructure and urban planning to mitigate civilian casualties in the event of a conflict.
