Three Nordic states have revealed new guidance for their citizens in the event of war or another major crisis, as concerns about escalation of the conflict in Eastern Europe grow.
On Monday, millions of Swedes will receive a pamphlet called: “If the crisis or war comes”. It is an updated version of a document given to all Swedes six years ago.
However, this version is double the size of the previous edition and reflects the new dangers posed as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Sweden has a long history of producing war-time manuals for its citizens. “If War Comes” was produced in World War Two and updated during the Cold War. One passage has been elevated in the new booklet: “If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.”
Sweden’s Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin presented the pamphlet last month. Earlier in the year he warned that “there could be war in Sweden”, although many viewed this as an attempt to increase the urgency in government, as Mr Bohlin believed that the build-up of “total defence” was progressing too slowly.
Norway has also released an emergency booklet. Its title is: “How you can play your part in Norway’s emergency preparedness.”
It includes advice on how citizens should prepare themselves to live self-sufficiently for a week.
The booklet advises: “The Norwegian authorities recommend that as many people as possible be prepared to be self-sustained for one week.
“This is because, in a crisis situation, municipalities and emergency agencies will have to prioritise those who cannot manage without help. If more of us can look after ourselves and our immediate families, Norway’s overall defences will be strengthened, i.e. the sum of public resources for preventing and managing crises and war.”
Finland, which shares a border with Russia, also has a digital brochure advising citizens how to survive in war.
The e-document insists the state is “well prepared for self defence”, but it has not been mass-produced like in Sweden.
Helsinki believes that printing and distributing a pamphlet “would cost millions” and a digital version can be updated far more easily.
