WW3 tensions rise as Swedish citizens told to stockpile food and water in nuclear war fear

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Just hours after Volodymyr Zelensky's chilling video address to Vladimir Putin warned US missile strikes "will speak for themselves", Sweden has issued five million pamphlets warning its citizens to stockpile food and water.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government in Stockholm has updated its "If crisis or war comes" document from six years ago due to the "worsening security situation". As reported by the Mirror, it comes just as Washington has given the green-light for US-missiles to be used to strike inside Russian territory for the first time.

Zelensky told Putin the US missiles could be used in just days. He said: "There's a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves."

Residents in Sweden warned its residents to "shelter" amid fears of nuclear war breaking out. The pamphlet has been issued just five times since World War II and is twice the size of previous years.

It states: "The global security situation increases the risks that nuclear weapons could be used. In the event of an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, take cover in the same way as in an air attack,' it instructs readers. Shelter provides the best protection. After a couple of days, the radiation has decreased significantly.'

Another dire warning, which has been brought forward from the middle of the booklet in the updated version, reads: 'If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false."

Finland, which neighbours Sweden, has also just published and updated his advice online on "preparing for incidents and crises" on how to manage on their own in the event of a war. The digital brochure explains, in a section on military conflict, how the government would respond in the event of an armed attack - stating authorities are "well prepared for self-defence."

Norwegians also received a pamphlet urging them to manage on their own for a week in the event of war, extreme weather and other threats. In the summer, Denmark's emergency management agency confirmed it was emailing Danish adults on the food, water and medicine they would need to get through a crisis for three days. The list of items to be kept at home included long-life foods such as tins of beans, energy bars, pasta, and medicines in case of a nuclear attack.

Finland opted not to print a copy for every home as it “would cost millions” and a digital version could be updated more easily. “We have sent out 2.2 million paper copies, one for each household in Norway,” said Tore Kamfjord, who is responsible for the campaign of self-preparedness at the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB).

The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles added “fuel to the fire” of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher.

Biden’s shift in policy added an uncertain, new factor to the conflict on the eve of the 1,000-day milestone since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.

It also came as a Russian ballistic missile with cluster munitions struck a residential area of Sumy in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people, including two children, and injuring 84 others. Another missile barrage sparked apartment fires in the southern port of Odesa, killing at least 10 people and injuring 43, including a child, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said.

Washington is easing limits on what Ukraine can strike with its American-made Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs after months of ruling out such a move over fears of escalating the conflict and bringing about a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. The Kremlin was swift in its condemnation.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps and they have been talking about this, to continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict.”

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