EUROPE is preparing for World War Three – equipping citizens with survival guides, nuclear bunkers, and conscription plans to survive a Russian invasion.
The continent is re-arming amid fears Vladimir Putin is just years away from a war to push Nato out of Eastern Europe and rebuild the Russian empire.
Countries are preparing their citizens for a terrifying fight – with calls for Britain to join in with the European nations already conscripting people into growing armies.
As civilians are readying for Russian tanks rolling into cities, The Sun has what you need to survive 72 hours into nuclear Armageddon – on a budget.
We hit the high street to pack a survival kit as the EU announces it is ready to order all citizens to prepare an emergency pack of supplies.
Based on France’s official emergency kit, the first thing you will want to grab is a torch. If it was about to rain missiles, the power grid may be affected instantly.
Along with the torch, pack as many batteries as you have, to ensure that you don’t fall into complete darkness during such an emergency.
Many torches are sold with batteries included for around £8, but always have more than you think you would need.
Batteries separately may set you back around £5, but it’s encouraged to buy various types to fit different devices.
Spare batteries will also be vital for the next thing to shove into your backpack: a battery-powered radio.
Having a radio is also crucial to surviving the first 72 hours to keep up to date on what is happening worldwide on land, sea and in the skies.
You can buy a radio for a mere £15 from high-street shops like Argos.
Also prioritise packing portable chargers and spare charging wires for your devices, to keep you online for those gut-wrenching hours – costing you around £15 on average.
A large first aid kit also takes priority during emergencies, containing key items like face masks, foil blankets, medical scissors and antiseptic wipes.
The Sun managed to grab one containing all the necessities for only £12 from Tesco.
It is also vital to pack any medications you normally take – and purchase any extras like paracetamol and ibuprofen as you don’t know how long you may have to remain in a bunker.
In regards to food, prioritise packing non-perishable but fibre-filled items like beans, lentils, rice and soups to last you throughout the start of the terrifying emergency.
Tesco sells a 500g pack of red split lentils for £2 – they’re easy to cook with just water and heat, even over a camping stove or open flame.
Chunky soups at just £1.20 a can, and bulk tinned goods like meat, fish, veg, and even fruit can offer protein and variety.
Many supermarkets also have frequent multi-buy deals, in case you want to really stock up.
Tinned meat and fish are also a good idea for protein and costs no more than £1 from most supermarkets.
No survival kit is complete without water – and lots of it.
The average person needs at least two litres a day, and more if under stress or eating dry food.
Tesco sells a 12-pack of bottled water for £1.80 – and it’s one of the first things you should stock up when prepping your kit.
Next, turn to grabbing a woolly hat, scarf, gloves, and a warm jumper and waterproof coat.
It’s important to be prepared for the ever-changing conditions of world war, and, depending on the time of year, clothes to keep your temperature up could save your life.
The Sun went to SportsDirect to grab a hat and gloves for £12 – but you may be better off heading to somewhere like Poundland.
And finally, don’t forget morale – the psychological toll of living underground in fear is immense.
Card games like Uno – £8 at Argos – can offer a nice distraction from wartime, boosting mental health and building social bonds, especially if you’re stuck in a bunker with family or friends.
In total, our emergency survival kit cost around £70.
Europe on alert
The push to get people survival-ready isn’t just a fever dream, but an EU-backed strategy.
The European Union is now formally urging every household across its 27 member states to have a three day emergency kit ready – not just for war, but for natural disasters and crises of all kinds.
Crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib says it’s all about “72 hours of self-sufficiency” – the critical window after a catastrophe where state support might be delayed or unavailable.
“Knowing what to do in case of danger, gaming out different scenarios, that’s also a way to prevent people from panicking,” she said – recalling supermarket shelves stripped of loo roll at the start of Covid.
The kit she’s pushing includes essentials like bottled water, energy bars, torches, and even waterproof pouches for ID documents, Irish outlet RTE reports.
And the bloc wants to introduce a National Preparedness Day across Europe – an annual check-up on whether households are WW3-ready.
The whole plan takes inspiration from war-savvy Scandinavia, where citizens in Finland, Sweden and Denmark are already told to prep for blackouts, invasions and worst-case scenarios.
Now the EU wants to ensure every citizen knows how to survive the unthinkable – and The Sun’s kit proves you can do it without spending a bomb.
France issues invasion survival guide
FRANCE is the latest country set to issue an invasion survival how-to guide for its citizens.
The 20-page booklet will give advice to French civilians on how to defend the republic in the face of an invasion by signing up to reserve units or local defence efforts.
It will also have tips on how to create a survival kit with essentials including six litres of water, canned food, batteries, and basic medical supplies.
French president Emmanuel Macron revealed French fighter jets equipped with a new generation of hypersonic nuclear missiles are now stationed on the border with ally Germany.
Berlin likely sits under the protection of France’s nuclear weapons – Macron would fire nukes in defence of his ally if Germany were attacked as France would consider itself threatened.
It’s something which Poland now also wants and which the French President is considering granting.
Warsaw is looking at getting nuclear weapon protection from either Paris or Washington DC and is set to implement conscription for all men.
The Baltics and Nordic countries are acutely aware of the threat Russia poses with all having some form of conscription already in place.
Norwegian officials are preparing for mass evacuation drills for citizens in some of the country’s most northern towns.
Norway, which shares a 121 mile border with Russia in the Arctic, is hosting a Nato exercise next year and wants civilians to also take part.
