Sweden and Finland have issued warnings to their citizens to prepare for the possibility of war, as Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine continues to escalate.
On Monday, Sweden released an updated version of its crisis manual, In Case of Crisis or War, a guide for civilians on handling national emergencies. Last distributed in 2018, this edition has doubled in length to 32 pages and places a greater emphasis on war readiness. Mikael Frisell, director of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, stated, “The security situation is serious, and we all need to strengthen our resilience to face various crises and ultimately war.”
Approximately 5.2 million copies of the manual will be distributed to Swedish households over the next two weeks, with translations available online. The guide advises citizens to stockpile essentials, including food, baby supplies, medicine, and hygiene products.
Similarly, Finland has released an online crisis preparation guide, outlining government actions in the event of war. However, a September survey revealed that only 58% of Finns have sufficient emergency supplies to endure a crisis.
This follows Norway’s distribution of pamphlets earlier this year advising households on self-sufficiency during emergencies, including war. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection sent 2.2 million physical copies, one to every household.
Sweden and Finland’s actions come after their historic decision to join NATO, ending decades of neutrality in response to concerns about Russian aggression and territorial ambitions in Eastern Europe. Sweden’s expanded manual now includes detailed instructions on war preparedness.
Meanwhile, Russia retains control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory as the conflict nears its third year, with Kyiv struggling to repel Moscow’s incremental advances.