UNCLASSIFIED · OPEN SOURCES Launch offer: your household plan and Phaenyx Safe are free for a limited time (regular price $29). Build my plan →
PHAENYXCivil preparedness EN

Moldova · Public shelters

Are there public bomb shelters in Moldova?

Moldova's 174 civil protection shelters were all rated unsatisfactory after 2022 checks; 1,790 spaces were cited in 2026. No public shelter map was found.

Updated 2026-10-20· 6 official sources

Short answer. Moldova has a small Soviet-era stock of civil protection shelters: 174 after inspections in 2022, for 62,513 people, all rated unsatisfactory 1. In October 2026 the Interior Minister cited 1,790 inventoried shelter spaces for over 350,000 people, including over 250 civil and anti-radiation shelters 2. We found no public online shelter map on 20 October 2026 3.

Part of this page relies on official statements we could not cross-check (the shelter map). It is marked for verification.

How many shelters does Moldova have?

Two official figures exist, and they count different things.

Figure What it counts Source
174 shelters, 62,513 places Purpose-built civil protection shelters (adăposturi de protecție civilă) after 2022 inspections 1
1,790 spaces, 350,000+ people Inventoried spaces cited by the Interior Minister in October 2026, of which over 250 are civil and anti-radiation shelters 2

The 2022 explanatory note states: "cele 174 de adăposturi de protecție civilă pot adăposti 62513 de persoane" — the 174 civil protection shelters can hold 62,513 people 1. All were rated unsatisfactory; 51 are privately owned, 112 are managed by central authorities and 11 by local authorities 1. The larger 2026 figure adds basements and other structures that could be used; the state news agency reported that not all of them meet standards 2.

How do I find the nearest shelter?

We could not confirm an official public locator. The Interior Minister said on 20 October 2026 that shelter locations can be consulted on an interactive map on the IGSU website 2. On the same day, the IGSU Hărți interactive page and its public map catalogue listed only four flood hazard and risk maps, with no shelter map 3.

The 2022 draft of the shelter regulation has local emergency commissions inform the population of shelter locations, including through online maps, when a threat arises 5. That regulation was adopted as Government Decision 1012 of 13 December 2023 6; we could not read its final text.

In practice, ask your town hall (primăria) or your building administrator which shelter or basement serves your address, and check again on the IGSU website.

Where should I go during an air raid?

IGSU advises any room set below ground level and covered by earth: basements, cellars, underground car parks and underground pedestrian passages 4. On a siren, its instruction in an armed attack is to take shelter 4. See the air raid alert guide and shelter or evacuate.

Who runs the shelters?

Ownership is mixed: of the 174 civil protection shelters, 51 belong to private owners, 112 to central authorities and 11 to local authorities 1. Decision 1012/2023 regulates how protective structures are operated 6; according to the 2022 draft, this includes equipping, marking and recording them 5. In the 2022 draft, shelters are marked with the international civil defence sign, a blue triangle on an orange background 5.

Frequently asked questions

Are Moldova's shelters ready to use?

Not all. The 174 civil protection shelters inspected after 2022 were all rated unsatisfactory 1, and the state news agency reported in 2026 that not all inventoried spaces meet standards 2.

Is there an official shelter map?

The minister said in October 2026 that there is one on the IGSU website 2. On 20 October 2026 we found only flood maps there 3. This point is unconfirmed.

What sign marks a shelter?

In the 2022 draft regulation, the international civil defence sign: a blue triangle on an orange background 5.

Sources

  1. Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (particip.gov.md) — Notă informativă la proiectul hotărârii Guvernului cu privire la aprobarea Regulamentului privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție — https://particip.gov.md/ro/download_attachment/18143 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  2. MOLDPRES (state news agency) — Republica Moldova are 1.790 de adăposturi, cu o capacitate de peste 350 de mii de persoane. Nu toate corespund standardelor — https://www.moldpres.md/rom/societate/republica-moldova-are-1-790-de-adaposturi-cu-o-capacitate-de-peste-350-de-mii-de-persoane-nu-toate-corespund-standardelor (accessed 2026-10-20)
  3. Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență — Hărți interactive — https://igsu.gov.md/ro/harti-interactive (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență (MAI) — Ghidul acțiunilor în situații de risc. Acțiuni în primele 72 de ore — https://igsu.gov.md/sites/default/files/media/images/preventie_documents/ghidul-actiunilor-in-situatii-de-risc.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (particip.gov.md) — Proiect: Regulamentul privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție (draft 842/MAI/2022) — https://particip.gov.md/ro/download_attachment/18142 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. Guvernul Republicii Moldova (particip.gov.md) — Hotărârea Guvernului nr. 1012 din 13-12-2023 cu privire la aprobarea Regulamentului privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție (dosar 842/MAI/2022) — https://particip.gov.md/ro/document/stages/proiectul-hotararii-guvernului-pentru-aprobarea-regulamentului-privind-exploatarea-constructiilor-de-protectie/9394 (accessed 2026-10-20)

Turn this into action

Your plan for Moldova, worked out for your household.

  • Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
  • The nuclear plants and zones around your home
  • Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
$29Freelimited timeBuild my plan →Try Phaenyx Safe

Sources

  1. Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (particip.gov.md) · Notă informativă la proiectul hotărârii Guvernului cu privire la aprobarea Regulamentului privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție checked 2026-10-20
  2. MOLDPRES (state news agency) · Republica Moldova are 1.790 de adăposturi, cu o capacitate de peste 350 de mii de persoane. Nu toate corespund standardelor checked 2026-10-20
  3. Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență · Hărți interactive checked 2026-10-20
  4. Inspectoratul General pentru Situații de Urgență (MAI) · Ghidul acțiunilor în situații de risc. Acțiuni în primele 72 de ore checked 2026-10-20
  5. Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (particip.gov.md) · Proiect: Regulamentul privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție (draft 842/MAI/2022) checked 2026-10-20
  6. Guvernul Republicii Moldova (particip.gov.md) · Hotărârea Guvernului nr. 1012 din 13-12-2023 cu privire la aprobarea Regulamentului privind exploatarea construcțiilor de protecție (dosar 842/MAI/2022) checked 2026-10-20

Keep reading: Public shelters