Article By Frank Bergman
The British government is urging citizens to begin stockpiling food, drinking water, and emergency supplies to survive three days without essential services as officials prepare for coming wartime emergency measures, including blackouts, supply disruptions, and threats to critical infrastructure.
The warning comes as Britain’s army chief says the public must now prepare for war and will soon be asked to make sacrifices and help defend the country.
Households are being told to prepare to sustain themselves for 72 hours if a crisis cuts off electricity, water, communications, or access to supplies.
Yet research shows that just 13% of Britons feel prepared for an emergency that leaves them without everyday services.
Families Told to Prepare for 72 Hours Without Services
The government’s emergency checklist calls for three days of drinking water per person, at least 9.5 gallons for a family of four.
Households are also advised to store nonperishable food, including canned meat, fish, and vegetables, along with dried fruit and nuts.
Other recommended supplies include battery-powered flashlights, sleeping bags, blankets, a hand-crank radio, charged power banks, cash, paper documents, and first-aid kits.
Families with additional needs are urged to keep baby formula, diapers, and pet food available.
On Friday, UK media outlets started publishing guides for citizens on how to stockpile food and water.
Be prepared… this is the UK government’s “APOCALIST”. ‼️What to stockpile for an emergency‼️ Dan Jarvis mentioned storms. Wes Streeting went further… Supermarket meltdowns if hostile states hack food supply chains & payment systems https://t.co/OEmk66HgiD
— Jerome Starkey (@jeromestarkey) October 23, 2026
The campaign follows severe weather and cyberattacks that have exposed how quickly services people depend on can be disrupted.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis pointed to recent storms and wildfires.
“The storms last winter and the wildfires this summer have shown how severe weather events can cause disruption to our everyday lives and impact the services we rely on, like phones, power, water and the internet,” Jarvis said.
Ministers have also been stepping up community preparedness efforts, including testing the nationwide emergency alert system on cell phones.
Russian Vessels Raise Alarm Over Undersea Infrastructure
The preparedness push comes amid warnings about Russian activity around the underwater networks connecting Britain with Europe and the United States.
The Telegraph reported that NATO has been tracking civilian vessels suspected of conducting espionage for the Kremlin.
The newspaper analyzed more than 500 cases involving Russian fishing vessels lingering above vital communications cables.
British ministers have confirmed that Moscow is using “commercial proxies” to threaten undersea infrastructure.
An attack on those networks could disrupt hospitals, banks, transportation, and communications.
Approximately $87 billion in British economic activity depends on undersea cable connections between Britain and the United States.
Western intelligence officials fear Russia is escalating sabotage operations in Europe and preparing for a potential confrontation with NATO.
Officials have warned that destroying subsea cables could form part of such an attack.
Army Chief Warns Public Will Have to Make Sacrifices
Britain’s army chief, General Sir Roly Walker, delivered a blunt warning to approximately 700 soldiers at Catterick Garrison.
“You didn’t know this, but our nation is going to need you,” Walker told the troops.
He said political leaders would soon have to confront the public about the dangers facing the country.
“There was a time that our nation didn’t want to think of a time when it would need its soldiers to fight in a war,” Walker said.
Walker said citizens would have to accept sacrifices to put defense and security first.
They would also be asked to contribute to defending the country.
He urged the public to “back us, to back you to do the one thing that you do that nobody else gets to do, and that is to take the fight to the enemy.”
But polling reveals a stark divide between those preparations and public willingness to fight: nearly half of Britons say there are no circumstances in which they would take up arms for their country.
Europe Expands Emergency Preparations
The British campaign follows similar preparations across Europe amid fears of a future war with Russia.
Households across the European Union’s 27 member countries have been urged to maintain three-day emergency kits for war, natural disasters, and other crises.
Other preparations have included nuclear bunkers and military conscription plans.
British officials have identified severe weather, cyberattacks, and infrastructure threats as reasons to prepare.
They have not announced that a specific nationwide emergency is imminent.
But the instructions are unmistakable: families should be ready to get through the first 72 hours of a crisis with food, water, and essential supplies already in their homes.
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