Sweden’s Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin presents the new version of the preparedness booklet “If the crisis or war comes”, which will be distributed to all households, in Stockholm, Oct, 8, 2024. (AFP File Photo)
Sweden and Finland have urged citizens to prepare for the possibility of war as the Russia-Ukraine conflict approaches the end of its third year.
The Nordic neighbors have dropped decades of military non-alignment to join the U.S.-led defense alliance NATO in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, News.Az reports citing the Daily Sabah.
“The security situation is serious and we all need to strengthen our resilience to face various crises and ultimately war,” said Mikael Frisell, the director of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) which sent out the brochures.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Stockholm has repeatedly urged Swedes to prepare both mentally and logistically for the possibility of an armed conflict.
After the end of the Cold War, the country drastically slashed its defense spending as it focused its military efforts on international peacekeeping missions.
But it reversed course following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Since then, Stockholm has reintroduced limited conscription, massively increased defense spending and reopened a garrison on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland.
It subsequently strengthened bomb shelters, shored up drinking water supplies and transport infrastructure, appointed a minister of civil defense and established a Psychological Defence Agency aimed at combatting disinformation.
The 32-page booklet “If Crisis or War Comes,” which started being distributed on Monday, contains information about how to prepare for war, natural disasters and cyber or terror attacks.
Sent to 5.2 million households over the next two weeks, it is an updated version of a pamphlet that Sweden has issued five times since World War II.
The new version doesn’t mention Russia, Ukraine, or another country by name.