Germany is drawing up a list of bunkers for a new app to help civilians find emergency shelter amid rising tensions with Russia.

Residents are also being encouraged to turn garages and basements into bomb shelters as part of a new review of suitable locations.

Underground car parks, train stations and government buildings could also be converted – while a special app is being developed to help direct people to the nearest shelter during an emergency, according to German the interior ministry.

A government spokesman made no reference to the potential threat from Russia or other nations – and also did not reveal when the project would be ready.

Bild newspaper, which first reported on the so-called “bunker plan”, said officials were working on the project in response to the growing international threat.

Civil protection organizations in Germany called for a faster expansion of shelters, including structures that can quickly and safely house 5,000 people.

Germany is said to currently have 579 public shelters with a capacity of around 480,000 people.

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The country has increasingly focused on defense on its own soil since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked fears of a wider escalation on the European continent.

Under Operation Plan Germany, federal and state governments, the military, security authorities and emergency services are working together on how to defend the country in the event of a conflict.

Earlier this week, a top NATO military official urged companies to prepare for a war scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries like Russia and China.