Breaking into a super-fortified bunker helps Finland ‘stabilize’ in the event of a nuclear attack

According to the Mirror, most people don’t notice the dingy metal shack with scrawled glass windows as they pass by the peaceful square at the end of Franzeninkatu Street, in a tree-lined area to the west. East Helsinki.

And there are few who can even imagine the vast world that lies behind the rusty doors of this shack.

Descending down the steep concrete steps, covered with what appeared to be decades of dust, until, about 25 meters below the surface, a long, steep tunnel dug out of solid rock stretched stretched out into the distance.

Further down, and even deeper underground, two steel doors appeared, the first one a meter thick and so heavy that it took two people to push it open. Entering behind that door, we are completely cut off from the outside world.

Most Western countries began to consider the possibility of being targeted after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. But Finland has been preparing for decades.

The result is a work of engineering excellence and foresight – an extensive network of nearly 500 underground bunkers dug deep into the hard granite bedrock, spanning nearly 321km and covering approximately 10 million square feet.

The bunkers have enough space – and beds – to shelter everyone of Helsinki’s 630,000 residents, and anyone visiting or working in the city.

The bunkers are even designed to withstand a nuclear attack.

“Boogke can withstand an explosion with a pressure of up to 6 bar (a unit of measurement of pressure), so even a nuclear bomb can’t break it. So the bomb can drop down at on the ground and children can have fun playing down here,” said the guide of the Mirror reporter group.

According to Mirror, that means that if the war in Ukraine spills over into other countries, Helsinki – Finland’s most important city will still be able to protect its people.

The risk of attack increased when Finland recently announced plans to join NATO.

“Finland must apply to join NATO immediately,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement.

NATO leaders are expected to discuss the issue at their summit in Madrid next month.

Jani Pitkanen, commander of the Helsinki Rescue Service, said the bunkers were connected to outside shops, meaning the entire city could safely shelter underground for “several months” if there was a war. painting.

In addition, under Finnish planning law, new buildings over 1,200 square meters must provide shelter in the event of war and conflict, bringing the number of bunkers to more than 5,500.

The 15,000-square-foot Merihaka bunker in central Helsinki can accommodate up to 6,000 people and even has three large football fields to keep shelters entertained.

“Even if we have to bring the entire population of the city in here, we guarantee that no one will feel uncomfortable. All kinds of waste will be taken away. Even above each toilet All births have ventilation holes, so the smell goes with it. It’s all to show that we can survive. And if someone attacks us, we will survive,” Mr. Pitkanen said.