Sweden and Finland have ramped up efforts to prepare their citizens for potential conflict as concerns about security in the region grow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden has begun distributing a 32-page pamphlet, If Crisis or War Comes, to 5.2 million households, providing guidance on how to handle emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyberattacks, or terror incidents. This follows years of bolstered defence measures, including increased spending, reopened military garrisons, and the establishment of a Psychological Defence Agency to combat disinformation.
The pamphlet, last updated in 2018, now places a stronger emphasis on war preparedness. Citizens are advised to stock non-perishable food, keep cash at hand, and grow their produce. Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin has warned of the potential for armed conflict, urging Swedes to be ready for the “worst-case scenario.”
Meanwhile, Finland launched a new website consolidating information on crisis preparedness. Sharing a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, Finland has heightened security by planning a 200-kilometre border fence set for completion by 2026.
Sweden has revived conscription, fortified bomb shelters, and upgraded civil defence infrastructure since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Meanwhile, Finland has closed border crossings with Russia and intensified readiness to prevent hybrid threats.
Both nations abandoned military non-alignment to join the US-led NATO alliance after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
