The two countries abandoned several decades of military non-alignment and joined NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since the start of this war, Stockholm has continued to urge its population to prepare, both mentally and logistically, for the possibility of war, given Russia's proximity.
The booklet, called “Om krisen eller kriget kommer” (“In Case of Crisis or War”), sent by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) contains practical advice for dealing with crises such as war, natural disasters or cyberattacks. With this updated version, it has been sent five times since World War II.
“Prepare mentally for war”
The previous version, sent to households in 2018, made headlines: it was the first time it had been sent to residents of Sweden since 1961, at the height of the Cold War. “The security situation is serious and we all need to strengthen our resilience in order to be able to face crises, and ultimately war,” argued Mikael Frisell, director of MSB.
The 32-page document describes, using simple illustrations, the threats facing the Nordic country and gives practical advice such as stockpiling food and water. Over the next two weeks, 5.2 million brochures – also available online in Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Polish, Somali and Finnish – will be sent to the Swedish population.
