HELSINKI — Sweden and Finland have recently updated their civil preparedness guides to help citizens navigate potential wartime scenarios, reflecting their departure from neutrality after joining NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new guides, released on Monday, share similarities with those of neighboring Denmark and Norway, although none explicitly name Russia as a concern.

Former Swedish military chief Gen. Micael Bydén previously emphasized the need for Swedes to mentally brace themselves for possible warfare. Sweden officially became the 32nd member of NATO in March, following Finland’s accession nearly a year earlier.

The revised Swedish guide includes detailed instructions on how to react to threats involving nuclear, chemical, or biological attacks. It advises individuals to seek shelter as they would during airstrikes, indicating that shelters offer the most effective protection and noting that radiation levels diminish significantly after a couple of days.

Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin acknowledged during a press conference last month that the security landscape has worsened since the last guide was released in 2018. Notably, the Swedish island of Gotland is located just over 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, strategically raising concerns.

Finland’s guide is created by the government and emphasizes that being prepared is a vital societal skill amid ongoing global tensions. The Finnish guide acknowledges the country’s shared border with Russia, which spans 1,340 kilometers (approximately 832 miles).

Across the Nordic region, the guides advocate for citizens to stockpile essential supplies, including drinking water, canned food, medical supplies, heating necessities, toilet paper, money, and emergency lighting sources such as flashlights and candles. They also recommend keeping vehicles adequately fueled and suggest having iodine tablets on hand in case of a nuclear incident.