Overnight air alert exposes uncertainty over access to shelters

LRT reported that Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas has not said whether all civil shelters would be unlocked if an air alert were issued at night. The Association of Municipalities says there is no law setting out when shelters must be opened during such an alert.

Possible air alert notifications were issued in Vilnius about 10 minutes after midnight, followed by similar warnings in Kaunas about 13 minutes later. Residents were urged to identify a safe place.

Kaunas officials say shelters in the city can accommodate nearly half of its residents, but they are unlocked only when a red warning signal is issued. During the previous air alert, some residents were unable to enter because certain shelters remained locked.

Katelynas said the current procedure was working properly and that, after a red warning signal, people should move towards their designated shelter. He said, however, that ensuring access to the shelters was the responsibility of municipalities rather than his ministry.

The Association of Municipalities said practices differed across the country and that there was no common procedure. According to its representative Vytautas Kaminskas, current rules provide for shelters to be prepared when war begins.

Kaminskas said shelters that are kept locked could remain inaccessible, adding that it would be unrealistic for a shelter manager to find someone to unlock a facility within 10 minutes of receiving a warning.

Some municipalities are preparing to install remote systems for opening shelters. The association also questioned who would ensure that property was not damaged if shelters in public buildings such as schools were opened.

Kaunas used a quarter of the 100,000 euros allocated for shelters last year and half of a further 100,000 euros allocated this year. The city administration’s director, Tadas Metelionis, said one challenge was securing apartment owners’ agreement to use basement storage areas as shelters.

Architect and shelter specialist Andrius Volungevičius urged residents to inspect their own basements, check whether they have two exits and sufficient air, and prepare an emergency bag.

The Interior Ministry estimates that shelters could accommodate more than half of Lithuania’s population if they were opened and properly prepared.