“No one knows how much time we have.” Sweden is preparing a plan for the worst war scenario in Europe

Sweden is taking increasingly radical measures to be ready for the worst scenario – a possible Russian invasion of Europe, Bloomberg writes.

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In addition to strengthening the armed forces and increasing the number of soldiers, which has been reduced since the Cold War, the country needs to modernize its ports, roads, railway network, hospitals and shelters.

“Sweden’s energy supply – a combination of nuclear, hydro and wind – is particularly vulnerable due to its geographical location. About 16,000 kilometers of power lines connecting manufacturing plants in the north of the country to major cities in the south pass through thick forests that cover about two-thirds of the country’s territory,” the publication writes.

Experts say this makes the country’s power grids more open to sabotage than in many other European countries, and Sweden should be prepared for disruptions, as critical infrastructure is often a prime target in times of war.

A possible Russian invasion of Europe is not the only cause for concern. The risk of hybrid warfare, including so-called “false flag” operations, is also increasing.

“No one knows how much time we have,” admitted Swedish Civil Defense Minister Karl-Oskar Bohlin.

At the same time, Sweden has significantly increased its annual expenditure on civil defense. In total, the government has allocated approximately 5.5 billion kroner (477 million euros) to civil defense in the 2024 budget, which is almost three times more than in 2021. However, this amount still falls short of the 10 billion kroner that the Swedish Emergency Management Agency estimates the country needs each year.

“It doesn’t matter how strong the armed forces become – if we don’t get the necessary support from civil defense, we won’t be able to do what we need to do,” said Swedish Armed Forces Commander General Mikael Biden.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said other countries should follow the example of Finland, which has built and maintained a strong civil defense infrastructure for decades and taught civilians how to deal with emergencies.

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