Britain has a ‘weaker’ culture of national resilience than its allies on the continent and must learn from its European partners to prepare for war, the head of the UK’s armed forces has warned.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the UK defence staff, told the Berlin security conference this week that Britain simply does not have ‘some of the civil aspects or planning aspects’ that some other NATO allies ‘have as part of their traditions’.
‘We are having those conversations to learn from our colleagues and see what might be appropriate for ourselves,’ he told an audience of representatives from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.
Sweden announced this week that it would be sending out five million pamphlets to residents urging them to prepare for the possibility of a looming conflict amid fears of escalation within Europe.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Stockholm has repeatedly urged Swedes to prepare both mentally and logistically for a possible conflict, citing the worsening security situation in its vicinity.
Relations have reached a recent low since US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use its long-range ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, hoping to help turn the tide on Putin’s invasion.
The brochure urges ‘preparedness’ and talks citizens through finding shelter and navigating emergencies from war to cyber attacks and terrorism.
While the British government offers advice on dealing with emergencies, many Cold War shelters and civil defence provisions have since been retired.
The British Army’s new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
Sir Tony Radakin warned that Britain was underprepared in civil defence next to allies
Sir Radakin spoke on the day the defence secretary announced cuts to the military, including the Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ships, a frigate and dozens of helicopters. John Healey blamed the financial ‘black hole’ inherited from the last government.
‘I think we have to acknowledge that we are in a different position … a slightly weaker one than my [Nordic and Baltic] colleagues on the panel,’ Sir Radakin said.
‘It’s an area where we don’t have the culture of total defence. We don’t have some of the civil aspects or planning aspects that other countries within Nato have as part of their traditions.’
Nordic nations are taking pre-emptive steps to safeguard their populations for the possibility of war, stockpiling supplies and readying citizens to find shelter, give first aid and potentially take a role in national defence.
The Finnish government published a digital booklet preparing citizens for incidents and crises, and reminded residents of their ‘obligation’ to defending the nation.
‘Preparedness is a civic skill in the current global situation,’ said the head of Rescue Services at Finland’s interior ministry. ‘Knowing what to do in case of an incident is a good foundation for society’s resilience.’
Sweden, meanwhile, has provided clear instruction with booklets entitled ‘If Crisis or War Comes’. They contain information about how to prepare for emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyber attacks and terrorism.
‘An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst – an armed attack,’ its new introduction states.
The book shares potentially life-saving information on how to find effective shelter in the event of an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
Civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said within two years Sweden would revive civilian conscription to mobilise 3,000 young men and women a year with lessons in crisis management.
British Army soldiers take part in training in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
The British Army’s new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19
Britons are now reportedly snapping up old fallout shelters built during the Cold War (bunker in Wormshill, near Buxton, pictured)
An underground bunker in Repps with Bastwick, near Great Yarmouth with no running water or electricity will go up for auction next month and is expected to fetch up to £20,000
Norway also distributed booklets with advice on how to manage in the event of a crisis. Residents have shared how they have started stockpiling iodine after being told that it could help block the absorption of radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear war.
The looming possibility of war returning to Europe comes after months of repeated threats from the Kremlin, promising retaliation against Nato allies for their support of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin once more warned of nuclear consequences if long-range US missiles from Ukraine hit deep within his country – after President Biden conceded to Kyiv permission to use its ATACMS missiles beyond its borders.
Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country’s use of nuclear weapons as Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles and reportedly fired U.K.-made Storm Shadows into Russia this week.
The decision to allow use of long-range Western weapons came after months of anxiety about the possibility of escalation – and fears Ukraine may be losing momentum after making gains in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year.
After months of political gridlock, the concession came amid reports that thousands of North Korean troops had moved to reinforce Putin’s lines in Russia.
US-supplied ATACMS missiles will be used against both Russian and North Korean troops deployed against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said.
Russia has begun to recover ground in recent weeks, hoping to gain momentum as Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of Russia slows.
Ukraine’s August movement was helped along by another concession, allowing limited use of supplied weapons to strike into Russia.
The provision in turn followed Russia’s land grab at Kharkiv, reopening its offensive as the West debated allowing use of long-range missiles in May.
Soldiers walk through a camp, as members of the Finnish arctic expert Jaeger Brigade train British, Swiss and French troops in cold-weather logistics on November 19
Ukrainian forces fire a 120-mm mortar towards Russian troops at a frontline, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine, November 19
Ukrainian forces operate mortars near the frontlines on Tuesday, November 19
Ukraine said today that Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight targeting Dnipro city.
If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war, ongoing since February 2022.
In a statement Thursday on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but said it was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea.
It said an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired at Dnipro city along with eight other missiles, and that the Ukrainian military shot down six of them.
Two people were wounded as a result of the attack, and an industrial facility and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged, according to local officials.
While the range of an ICBM would seem excessive for use against Ukraine, such missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia’s nuclear capability and a powerful message of potential escalation.
A Ukrainian air force source told the AFP news agency this morning that the missile did not have a nuclear charge.
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Publish date : 2024-11-21 01:41:00
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