**Norway Prepares for War**
The Norwegian government has proposed building new bomb shelters and taking over 100 other measures to prepare the country for potential conflict. This move comes as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and rising global security challenges increase tensions.
**New Bomb Shelters**
Norway plans to build new bomb shelters, larger than 1,000 square meters, which will be designed to withstand conventional attacks, radioactive, or chemical weapons. The government wants to repeal a decision made in 1998 to halt the construction of bomb shelters and start building new ones.
**Increased Civil Defense Efforts**
The government also plans to increase the number of Civil Defense conscripts from 8,000 to 12,000 over eight years. Emergency food storages will be set up to last three months, and compulsory civilian service during a security crisis or war may become mandatory.
**Global Security Concerns**
Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine and its increasingly belligerent rhetoric towards the West have prompted warnings across NATO about a possible clash with Moscow in the coming years. Norway shares a 200-kilometer-long border with Russia in the Arctic Circle, making it a vulnerable country to potential attacks.
**Other Countries Take Action**
Lithuania has drafted evacuation plans to relocate a quarter of its population in case of war, while Latvia and Estonia have also reviewed their civil preparedness measures due to Russian aggression.