On Monday the government of Sweden began issuing pamphlets advising its population on how to survive an unexpected disastrous war scenario, at a moment tensions are on edge with Russia, and after weekend reports saying the Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to conduct long-range missile strikes on Russian territory using US-supplied weapon systesm.

Millions of Swedes are receiving the directives, entitled “in case of crisis of war” – which is an updated version of something the Swedish government issued six years ago. But now things are very different, given there is a hot war in Eastern Europe, and given Sweden is NATO’s newest member state. It’s all about being able to survive for a few days or a week, and imagines something like a shock invasion by a foreign hostile power.

The newly updated booklet is said to be twice the size as the one that was issued in the last decade. The other new NATO member, Finland, has also issued its own guidelines to the Finnish population on “preparing for incidents and crisis”. The warnings document how to cope with not just war-time situations where basic services and infrastructure may go offline, but how to survive extreme weather events as well.

According to the BBC, the Swedish pamphlet reflects the new realities of Stockholm having abandoned its historic post-WW2 neutrality: 

For Swedes, the idea of a civil emergency booklet is nothing new. The first edition of “If War Comes” was produced during World War Two and it was updated during the Cold War.

But one message has been moved up from the middle of the 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.”

“We live in uncertain times. Armed conflicts are currently being waged in our corner of the world. Terrorism, cyber attacks, and disinformation campaigns are being used to undermine and influence us,” the booklet’s introduction section reads.

“To resist these threats, we must stand united. If Sweden is attacked, everyone must do their part to defend Sweden’s independence — and our democracy. We build resilience every day,” the pamphlet continues. “You are part of Sweden’s overall emergency preparedness.”

The booklet even addresses local collective preparedness, such as citizens banding together to form volunteer defense units, and giving blood, or giving classes on CPR and survival skills.

in the case of Finland, its digital booklet states that the country which shares a border with Russia “has always been prepared for the worst possible threat, war.”

🚨🇸🇪 SWEDEN TELLS CITIZENS TO PREPARE FOR WAR

Sweden is sending 5.2 million “If Crisis or War Comes” pamphlets to households, urging people to stockpile food, water.

The booklet, updated for modern threats, declares, “We will never give up.”

Finland has launched a similar… pic.twitter.com/6COEVILUZ6

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 18, 2024

Such instructions from Nordic governments, envisioning the worst-case scenarios that could befall the region, have only stepped up since the start of the Ukraine war. 

One 24-year old Finnish student, Melissa Eve Ajosmaki, has told BBC: “Now I feel less worried but I still have the thought at the back of my head on what I should do if there was a war. Especially as I have my family back in Finland.”