According to the State Audit Office, no one was engaged in civil defense in Latvia before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, public media report.
Four years have passed since the war in Ukraine began, but in Latvia, there are still almost no fully equipped shelters, and some municipalities are refusing co-financing from the European Union (EU) for their construction.
In the most populous city, Riga, there are still no fully equipped and well-furnished shelters. The first such category 3 shelters are expected in early autumn, said Girts Lapins, head of the Security, Order, and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Riga City Council. Riga has applied for 146 basements that are planned to be converted into shelters by 2029. Currently, the city is awaiting permission from the Central Finance and Contracts Agency (CFCA), as only then can further steps be taken.
The Cabinet of Ministers hopes to equip 570 shelters with funds from the European Regional Development Fund. Of these, 117 are state-owned, and 453 are under the jurisdiction of municipalities. However, municipalities have not applied for all these facilities. Currently, contracts have been signed for 25 facilities.
The case of Rezekne is special. The municipality applied for six facilities for co-financing from the European fund, and the CFCA has already approved this application, but Rezekne withdrew it due to the municipality's financial situation. Now, officials hope that Rezekne will reapply for these basements.
Daugavpils, the second-largest city in Latvia, is far from the desired outcome. In Daugavpils, applications needed to be submitted for 19 facilities, but only 10 have been submitted. The municipality of Livani did not submit any applications, stating that it could not take on large financial obligations.
It is unknown how many people will fit in these 570 state and municipal shelters that are planned to be modernized. In all shelters that, from the perspective of the State Fire and Rescue Service, fully or partially meet the criteria of the third category, approximately 540,000 people, or about 25% of Latvia's population, could be accommodated.
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