Swedes and Finns live with the fear of imminent war. Sweden began sending more than five million brochures to its residents on Monday, encouraging them to prepare for this eventuality. Neighboring Finland has meanwhile launched a website with similar preparation advice.
The two countries abandoned decades of military non-alignment and joined NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Since February 24, 2022, Stockholm has continually urged its population to prepare, both mentally and logistically, for the possibility of war, given Russia's proximity.
A 32-page document with simple illustrations
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.
The 32-page document describes, using simple illustrations, the various threats facing the Nordic country. Every threat has its own siren: if the alarm sounds for 30 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of silence, and so on for five minutes, then the country is on maximum alert.
The manual lists in particular the foodstuffs and products to be stored, explains where to find shelter in the event of an air attack, and what to take in the event of evacuation (water, food, medicine, battery-operated radio). sunscreen, warm clothing, cash, map, compass, important documents, etc.).
“Run, hide, call 112”
In Finland, even civilians can be mobilized
A brief chapter is devoted to “psychological defense”, at a time when disinformation proliferates on social networks. Citizens are invited to be well informed by checking information from different sources, for example. Another is dedicated to digital security, facing the risks of cyberattacks.
Finally, the manual details the attitude to adopt in the event of a terrorist attack (run, hide, call 112) or to stop bleeding while waiting for help to arrive.
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, in a press release.
In Sweden, all Swedish citizens aged 16 to 70 are required to participate in the “total defense” of the country and to serve in the event of war or threat of war.
The government of Finland, which shares a 1,340 km-long border with Russia, also launched a website on Monday with crisis preparedness advice. Pandemic, cyberattack, disruptions in payment systems, natural disaster… Finland is also facing a wide range of threats, including military conflict.
This section contains sub-chapters such as “where can I seek refuge?” », “What should I bring to the civil protection shelter? “, or even “what do we do during an evacuation?” “.
The site also provides practical advice for pet owners (leave them at home, as space in shelters is limited), reservists (“take care of your physical fitness”) and civilians, who are ” protected.” However, “the Ministry of the Interior or the regional administrative agency of the State may order civilians to carry out a mission. People can be assigned tasks for which they have sufficient abilities. »
The site recalls that “military defense is based on conscription and the support of the whole of society for national defense”. Thus, all Finnish citizens “have a duty to defend their country and everyone plays an important role in the defense of Finland”.
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