STOCKHOLM - Swedes are stocking up on food items in case of war, as more conflict in Europe no longer feels like a distant possibility and authorities encourage measures to boost readiness.

At a civil preparedness fair in south-west Stockholm, 71-year-old Sirkka Petrykowska told AFP that she is taking the prospect of hostilities seriously and preparing as much as she can.

“I have bought a camping stove. I have taken a course on preservation in an old-fashioned way, where you can preserve vegetables, meat, and fruit that lasts for 30 years without a refrigerator,” Ms Petrykowska said.

“I’ve set aside blankets for warmth, I bought a gas burner for heating. I’ve also stocked up at my countryside home,” she continued.

In late September, Sweden held its annual Preparedness Week, where the authorities seek to raise awareness as part of the country’s “total defence” strategy.

The country revived the strategy in 2015 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and more measures were introduced – including the appointment of a Minister for Civil Defence – after

Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

The idea is to mobilise all of society, from the authorities to citizens and businesses, to collectively resist armed aggression while maintaining essential functions.

The focus, as it often is in Sweden, is on individual responsibility.

Everyone is encouraged to stockpile enough food to live independently for at least seven days without external aid in the event of a crisis.

That means “resources can initially be directed for instance to elderly and sick people”, the Swedish Food Agency writes on its website.