Nordic countries ramping up civil defense amid Ukraine war

Russia's war in Ukraine has made thesecurity situation in the Baltic region more tense.

Nordic countries right on Russia's doorstep have already taken notable steps to improve their military strength, increasing defense budgets and, in Finland and Sweden's case, joining NATO. However, in war, military capabilities aren't the only thing that matters; civil defense and the preparedness of regular citizens are also important.

Finland, Sweden and Norway have all issued updated preparedness guides to their citizens. Finland has issued theirs in a digital format, while Norway and Sweden are sending physical copies of instructions to all households.

The guides are meant for extreme weather events, pandemics and potential conflicts. They touch on several topics, such as having a week's worth of water and food supplies, how to act in case of an evacuation and how to deal with power failures.

The titles of Finland's and Norway's guides are more broadly focused on emergency situations — Finland's is "Preparing for incidents and crises," and Norway's is "How you can play your part in Norway's emergency preparedness."

Sweden's title, on the other hand, emphasizes the possibility of a conflict: "In case of crisis or war." The guide states that in uncertain times when armed conflicts are currently being waged in their corner of the world, terrorism, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns are being used to undermine and influence Sweden.

"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," reads the introduction to "In case of crisis or war."

Mikael Frisell, the director-general of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, explained in a press release that the national security situation in the country has changed drastically, and they all need to strengthen their resilience to various crises and, ultimately, war.

Sweden put mandatory military service on pause in 2010 but reactivated it in 2017. Finland and Norway have had compulsory military conscription for decades.

Long history of civil defense

Preparing for emergencies is nothing new for Nordic countries. These guides date back to World War II and the Cold War, and these new releases serve as an update to already existing information.

Jussi Korhonen, Finland's director of civil preparedness, told DW that despite no direct military threat toward Finland or other Scandinavian countries, the global security situation has become more unstable and difficult to predict. That is why these preparedness guides are important to keep up to date.

"The preparedness of the population takes a long time. It's not a project. It's a process where you must have a certain level of preparedness to combat different kinds of incidents," Korhonen explained.

Around 400,000 people have already downloaded the Finnish guide. According to Korhonen, 60% of Finns are already prepared and have acquired their home emergency supplies, like three days' worth of food and water.

"The aim is also to get the remaining 40% to acquire home emergency supplies," he said.

He added that studies show young adults are the least prepared, while people living in rural areas are best prepared for emergencies.

What is the mood in Sweden?

David Ferm, a university student in Gothenburg, Sweden, said that preparing for war is not on people's minds right now and that the feeling is relaxed.

"Once the pamphlets have reached the population because my understanding is they have not yet, then I think there will be a little more worry," Ferm said to DW.

"But in the end, people are going to calm down again. It's never going to be panic."

In Ferm's opinion, it's better that people know how to act and prepare for the unlikely, and it's good to have that information regardless of any panic it may cause.

Ludvig Karlberg, who works at a startup in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, also believes the idea of war in Sweden is very distant in most people's minds and is not actively worried.

"People are not really making the connection from Russia's war in Ukraine and that it's actually going to impact and threaten our way of life. I think people in certain industries are more aware, like cybersecurity," Karlberg said.

"I do think it's important that we actually get the tutorial into our hands, as the issue is more pressing now than it's ever been."

Karlberg added that, generally, people in Sweden fear Russia and war in Europe but are naively optimistic about their country's position in the conflict. 

What is the mood in Finland?

In Lappeenranta, a Finnish town next to the Russian border, the threatening feeling is greater. Marika Kesseli, a teacher in the town, noted that although she is not yet fully prepared for an emergency situation, being prepared for the worst, such as a military conflict, is important.

She told DW she was most scared when Russia's invasion of Ukraine began and even thought of replacing her electric car with a combustion one.

"I am a teacher, and we usually don't talk about the possibility of war in school; it's too scary," Kesseli explained.

"When we are with our friends, we do sometimes discuss it. But the possibility of moving away from the border and finding new work is quite hard, so we try to believe that someday, this world will be more peaceful and have hope."

Edited by: Davis VanOpdorp