Scandinavian countries have updated their emergency and war survival instructions

Swedes do not rule out military action

In Sweden, pamphlets emphasize the possibility of a military conflict: "in case of crisis or war." The population is reminded of unstable times when armed conflicts and terrorist attacks, cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns are taking place on the European continent.

To counter these threats, we must be united. Whichever country is under attack, everyone should contribute to protecting Sweden's independence and our democracy, the brochure says.

Mikael Frissell, head of the Civil Defense Department of the Swedish Defense Ministry, stressed in a press release that everyone needs to increase their resistance to various crises and, ultimately, to war.

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Sweden, which suspended compulsory conscription in 2010, returned it in 2017. In Finland and Norway, universal military service has existed for several decades.

How do residents of countries react and talk about it

David Fermm, a student at the University of Gothenburg, and Ludwig Karlberg, who works for one of the startups in Stockholm, believe that in Sweden people do not think about preparing for war.

As soon as the pamphlets reach the public, and as far as I understand, they haven't reached them yet, then I think there will be a little more concern. But eventually, people will calm down again. There will be no panic - suggested Fermat.

In Lappenrant, a Finnish city located near the border with Russia, the sense of threat is stronger. Marika Kessel, a local teacher, says that being prepared for the worst, such as a military conflict, is very important. But it has not yet implemented all the recommendations of the authorities regarding civil defense.