Russia is upgrading civil-defence shelters in Moscow and St Petersburg as Ukrainian drone attacks increasingly reach targets deep inside Russian territory. Procurement records indicate that authorities have allocated millions of roubles to repair underground facilities, while the St Petersburg metro is being assessed for conversion into a wider shelter network.
The work has not been presented as a single publicly announced national programme. Instead, details have emerged through state procurement notices and reporting by independent Russian media. The projects cover repairs to existing shelters, improvements to essential systems and the adaptation of metro infrastructure for civil-defence use.
What the shelter repairs involve
In Moscow, procurement records show that 39 million roubles, reported as approximately €400,000, was allocated in early September for the restoration of nine facilities across three districts in the city’s South-West administrative region.
The area contains research institutes and defence-related contractors. Planned work includes repairs to:
- Entrances and internal partitions
- Doors and utility systems
- Water, electricity and sewage networks
- Ventilation and communications equipment
The contracts are expected to be completed by 30 November, according to the available procurement information.
Additional spending has been earmarked for shelters in Moscow’s Novogireyevo district. A larger refurbishment is also planned in New Moscow for a facility built in 1971 and equipped with its own diesel power station.
Separate tenders worth 200 million roubles, or about €2 million, were published at the beginning of summer for shelter repairs across 17 Moscow districts. Most of the affected areas are in the eastern part of the capital.
St Petersburg metro assessed for civil-defence use
In St Petersburg, the city’s metro operator issued a contractor search in early September covering nine stations, four station compartments and 35 kilometres of track.
The proposed work involves adapting both operational and unfinished stations to civil-defence requirements. Among the planned features are air-filtration equipment and pressurised air-supply systems, which are intended to improve protection in an emergency involving smoke, contaminated air or structural damage.
The projects highlight the continuing importance of metro systems in European security and emergency planning. Underground rail networks can provide large enclosed spaces, but their use as shelters depends on access, ventilation, power, communications, crowd management and the ability to maintain transport services.
Why Moscow is reviewing its civil-defence network
The shelter upgrades come as Ukrainian forces continue to target Russian energy and industrial infrastructure. On Sunday night, drones reportedly struck the Moscow refinery in Kapotnya, with fires affecting primary oil-processing units and temporarily disrupting operations.
The reported attacks form part of Ukraine’s broader effort to damage sources of funding and infrastructure connected to Russia’s war effort. Russian authorities have not publicly described the shelter work as a direct response to any single strike, and the procurement documents do not establish a formal link between individual contracts and recent attacks.
Ukraine has also warned that its ability to strike targets at greater distances could expand. In August, Ukrainian missile developer FirePoint and former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukrainian forces could begin using new ballistic missiles against Moscow by the end of the year. Those claims concern a future capability and should not be treated as confirmation of an operational deployment.
A system dating back to the Soviet era
Moscow and St Petersburg possess civil-defence infrastructure largely built during the 20th century. It includes command bunkers for government and military communications, as well as larger shelters intended for civilian use.
St Petersburg’s metro has long been regarded as an important underground asset, but recent inventories reportedly found that many shelters require repair. The availability of suitable space has also been affected by the transfer of some residential basement areas into private ownership.
That creates practical challenges for emergency planners. A functioning shelter system requires more than underground space. Authorities must know which facilities remain accessible, whether they can accommodate residents safely and how quickly they can be opened during an attack or other emergency.
How this compares with Ukraine
Ukraine’s underground transport systems have served as active bomb shelters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Metro stations in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro have sheltered tens of thousands of people during periods of air attack.
In areas without metro networks, Ukraine has built purpose-designed underground schools. These facilities allow children to continue attending classes while reducing exposure to missile and drone strikes. Persistent attacks have also pushed parts of Ukraine’s education system towards remote learning.
The contrast is significant: Ukraine has been using its shelter infrastructure during an ongoing war, while the new Russian contracts indicate an effort to restore or improve facilities that have often remained part of a dormant civil-defence system.
What happens next
The immediate next step is the completion of the Moscow repair contracts and the selection of contractors for the St Petersburg metro work. Further procurement notices may clarify the total number of facilities involved, the timetable for construction and whether the projects form part of a broader national civil-defence review.
The available information does not show that Russia has introduced a new nationwide shelter policy or that all residents of either city have been instructed to move to designated facilities. It does, however, demonstrate that authorities are investing in underground protection as the war continues to expose major Russian cities and critical infrastructure to long-range attacks.
Conclusion
The latest Europe news from Russia points to a quiet but substantial expansion of civil-defence preparations. Moscow is repairing ageing shelters, while St Petersburg is examining how metro stations and track sections can support emergency protection. The projects do not change the course of the war by themselves, but they show how sustained drone strikes are forcing Russian authorities to revisit infrastructure that had largely remained a legacy of the 20th century.
