Sweden and Finland prepare the country's population for war

Sweden and Finland, which recently abandoned neutrality and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, issued updated civil preparedness guides to their citizens last Monday, the 18th, with instructions on how to survive a war.

The guides are similar to those from Denmark and Norway, although none mention Russia by name.

"Swedes must mentally prepare for the possibility of war," said Sweden's former Supreme Commander, General Micael Bydén, in January.

Sweden formally joined NATO in March as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, nearly a year after Finland.

The updated Swedish guide explains how to respond to a nuclear, chemical, or biological attack. In one section, it states: “Protect yourself in the same way as during an air raid. Shelters provide the best protection. After a few days, radiation decreases drastically.”