Ukraine and Finland form coalition to build shelters

Finland and Ukraine have signed a Joint Letter of Intent establishing a coalition of civilian protection shelters.

Source: Zelenskyy in a Zoom briefing for journalists; the website of the Ukrainian President's Office

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We had an excellent conversation and a solid meeting with our Finnish friends – the president and the prime minister...

We went to what I feel are the best bomb shelters in existence today. I'd like to point out that Finland has been developing a vast network of bomb shelters since 1939, and I'm very impressed by their scale. They are similarly impressed by our accomplishments, therefore we will be sharing insights with one another.

...the spaces that they have made – imagine, there are 5.6 million people, and they have built substantial bomb shelters for 5 million people, 4.9 million to be exact. They've built them and are still doing it."

Details: In the context of the construction of bomb shelters in Finland, Zelenskyy added: "Everyone understands what Russia is".

The Ukrainian President's Office stated that "in the presence of both Presidents, Herman Smetanin, Ukraine’s Minister of Strategic Industries, and Mari Rantanen, Finland’s Minister of the Interior, signed a Joint Letter of Intent, marking the launch of a Civil Protection Shelter Coalition".

"The construction of mandatory shelters in new buildings is a standard requirement in Finland. There are more than 50,000 such shelters across the country, capable of protecting over 5 million people if needed," the Office added.

Finnish officials informed Zelenskyy that the shelters are currently used for various purposes, such as car parks, sports grounds, restaurants, and shops. However, if needed, these facilities must be vacated and readied for their intended use within 72 hours.

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