Britain has a “weaker” culture of national resilience than its allies on the continent and must learn from its European partners to prepare for war, the head of Britain’s armed forces has warned.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the British defense staff, told the Berlin Security Conference this week that Britain simply does not have “some of the civilian aspects or the planning aspects” that some other NATO allies “have as part of their traditions”.

“We are having those talks to learn from our colleagues and see what might be appropriate for ourselves,” he told an audience of representatives from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.

Sweden announced this week that it will send out five million pamphlets to residents urging them to prepare for the possibility of a looming conflict amid fears of escalation within Europe.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Stockholm has repeatedly urged Swedes to prepare both mentally and logistically for a possible conflict, citing the deteriorating security situation in its vicinity.

Relations have recently hit a low point since US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use its ATACMS long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, hoping to help turn the tide of Putin’s invasion.

The brochure calls for “preparedness” and talks citizens through finding shelter and navigating emergencies from war to cyber attacks and terrorism.

While the British Govt gives advice In terms of emergency management, many shelters and civil defense shelters have since been retired.

The British Army’s new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19

Sir Tony Radakin warned that Britain was underprepared in civil defense next to allies

Sir Radakin was speaking on the day the Defense Secretary announced cuts to the military, including the Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ships, a frigate and dozens of helicopters. John Healey blamed the financial “black hole” inherited from the last government.

“I think we have to recognize that we are in a different position … one somewhat weaker than my (Nordic and Baltic) colleagues on the panel,” Sir Radakin said.

– It is an area where we do not have the total defense culture. We don’t have any of the civilian aspects or the planning aspects that other NATO countries have as part of their traditions.

Nordic nations take preventive measures to protect their populations for the possibility of war, stockpile supplies and prepare citizens to find shelter, provide first aid and possibly take a role in national defense.

The Finnish government published a digital booklet preparing citizens for incidents and crises, reminding residents of their “obligation” to defend the nation.

“Preparedness is a civic competence in the current global situation,” said the head of emergency services at Finland’s Ministry of the Interior. “Knowing what to do in the event of an incident is a good foundation for community resilience.”

Meanwhile, Sweden has given clear instructions with booklets entitled “If crisis or war comes”. They contain information on how to prepare for emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyber attacks and terrorism.

“An uncertain world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst – an armed attack,” it says in its new introduction.

The book shares potentially life-saving information on how to find effective protection in the event of an attack with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.

Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said that within two years Sweden would revive civilian conscription to mobilize 3,000 young men and women a year with lessons in crisis management.

British Army soldiers take part in training in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19

The British Army’s new Archer Mobile Howitzer gun, as British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Finland, on November 19

British are now said to have taken up old fallout shelters built during the Cold War (bunker at Wormshill, near Buxton, pictured)

An underground bunker in Repps with Bastwick, near Great Yarmouth with no running water or electricity will go up for auction next month and is expected to fetch up to £20,000

Norway also distributed booklets with advice on how to cope in a crisis. The residents have shared how they have started stockpiling iodine after learning it could help block the absorption of radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear war.

The looming prospect of war returning to Europe comes after months of repeated threats from the Kremlin, which promises retaliation against Nato allies for their support for Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again warned of nuclear consequences if long-range missiles from Ukraine strike deep into his country – after President Biden granted Kiev permission to use its ATACMS missiles beyond its borders.

Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country’s use of nuclear weapons as Ukraine fired several US long-range missiles and reportedly fired British-made Storm Shadows into Russia this week.

The decision to allow the use of long-range weapons from the West came after months of concern over the possibility of escalation – and fears that Ukraine could lose momentum after making gains in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year.

After months of political trouble, the concession came amid reports that thousands of North Korean troops had moved to reinforce Putin’s lines in Russia.

US-supplied ATACMS missiles will be used against both Russian and North Korean troops deployed against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, officials said.

Russia has begun to recover in recent weeks, hoping to gain momentum as Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of Russia slows.

Ukraine’s August movement was aided by another concession, which allowed limited use of supplied weapons to strike into Russia.

The provision, in turn, followed Russia’s land grab at Kharkiv, which resumed its offensive as the West debated allowing long-range missiles in May.

Soldiers walk through a camp as members of the Finnish Arctic expert Jaeger Brigade train British, Swiss and French troops in cold weather logistics on November 19

Ukrainian forces fire a 120mm mortar at Russian troops on a frontline, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on November 19

Ukrainian forces use grenade launchers near the front lines on Tuesday, November 19

Ukraine said today that Russia had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight at the city of Dnipro.

If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war, which has been ongoing since February 2022.

In a statement Thursday on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but said it was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea.

It said an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired at the city of Dnipro along with eight other missiles, and that the Ukrainian military shot down six of them.

Two people were injured as a result of the attack, and an industrial plant and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged, according to local officials.

While the range of an ICBM seems excessive for use against Ukraine, such missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia’s nuclear capabilities and a powerful message of potential escalation.

A source in the Ukrainian Air Force told the AFP news agency this morning that the missile did not have a nuclear warhead.