Russian Threats Revive Old Nuclear Fears In Europe

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Fighting around Ukraine’s nuclear power installations and Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons have reawakened nuclear fears in Europe. This is especially felt in countries like Poland and Romania, which border Ukraine and would be particularly vulnerable in case of a radiological disaster. Poland recently drew up a plan to distribute tablets offering some protection from radiation exposure, and is carrying out an inventory of the shelters it has to protect its civilian population. The period of peace that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union lulled governments into neglecting their civil protection plans. Some old shelters are today little more than museums that offer no real protection, relics of an earlier era of nuclear fears.