GOLLION, Switzerland — Switzerland wants to update its network of ageing nuclear shelters, which are increasingly seen as an asset at a time of greater global uncertainty, notably since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Thanks to a 1963 law, Switzerland is already ahead of neighbours like Germany. Each of its nine million residents, including foreigners and refugees, is guaranteed a spot in a bunker to protect them from bombs and nuclear radiation.

"In the coming years, the [Swiss] Confederation wants to remove some of the exceptions to the current rules and update some of the older shelters," Louis-Henri Delarageaz, civil protection commander for the Vaud canton, told Reuters.

The government launched consultations in October to ensure Swiss "resilience in the event of armed conflict" and plans a 220 million Swiss franc (S$330 million) upgrade of old structures.

"It doesn't mean we're preparing for a conflict — that's not the message — but we have a network of shelters and we need to maintain them and make sure they're functional."

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