Gransnet forums

Chat

UK advised to stockpile food as Russian Attack fears grow

(33 Posts)
Cossy Tue 14-Jul-26 18:50:44

apple.news/AcaYNPZprRaOD02g_AMbobg

Bit scary some narrative below for those unable to access via link:-

“ Stockpile food in case of Russian cyber attack, No 10 to tell public
Households to be advised on how to prepare for emergencies as threat of conflict rises”

“ “Later this year, ministers will launch a public information campaign to advise households on how to prepare for emergencies, including creating a stockpile of food, medicines and basic survival tools.

It comes amid rising concerns of a Russian attack on a Nato country and near-constant cyber attacks on the UK’s critical national infrastructure.”

Excerpt From
“Stockpile food in case of Russian cyber attack, No 10 to tell public”
Tony Diver
The Telegraph
apple.news/AcaYNPZprRaOD02g_AMbobg
This material may be protected by copyright.”

MawsRosie Tue 14-Jul-26 18:57:25

Well I have been teased often enough especially by DD1 that my freezer could withstand a nuclear winter so I might be saying “I told you so”.
Thinking about it I could probably live off my surplus fat too. shock

Cossy Tue 14-Jul-26 18:59:43

MawsRosie

Well I have been teased often enough especially by DD1 that my freezer could withstand a nuclear winter so I might be saying “I told you so”.
Thinking about it I could probably live off my surplus fat too. shock

Me too!!

Our freezer and pantry are full to bursting most of the time!

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 14-Jul-26 19:03:11

Crazy.
How to get everyone panic buying. No thanks.

Graphite Tue 14-Jul-26 19:09:31

Important not to panic over this kind of thing.

Full Telegraph piece with paywall removed:

archive.ph/20260714175544/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/14/defence-russia-public-stockpile-food-russian-cyber-attacks/#selection-4125.0-4129.30

Extract:

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, announced on Tuesday that the Government would also wargame a “hybrid” attack on the UK by a foreign adversary next year.

The “national home defence exercise” will see hundreds of civil servants plan their response to a crisis from inside Whitehall.

...

Sir Keir Starmer revealed last month that Western intelligence agencies believed an attack by Russia on a Nato country could come within four years.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 14-Jul-26 19:18:02

Oh, well. Cheaper than paying for national defence, I suppose.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 14-Jul-26 19:21:16

That will make the preppers and survivalists happy

It will also push folks into panic buying who cannot afford to do so.

I think it is rather irresponsible to be honest.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 14-Jul-26 19:25:54

European countries regularly advise their populations about survival etc.

Those populations appears to manage in a grown up fashion without panicking.

greyfur Tue 14-Jul-26 19:28:05

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Oh, well. Cheaper than paying for national defence, I suppose.

We are a tiny little island, not a world player.
Where would you like the funding to come from?

petra Tue 14-Jul-26 19:34:45

Graphite

Important not to panic over this kind of thing.

Full Telegraph piece with paywall removed:

archive.ph/20260714175544/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/14/defence-russia-public-stockpile-food-russian-cyber-attacks/#selection-4125.0-4129.30

Extract:

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, announced on Tuesday that the Government would also wargame a “hybrid” attack on the UK by a foreign adversary next year.

The “national home defence exercise” will see hundreds of civil servants plan their response to a crisis from inside Whitehall.

...

^Sir Keir Starmer revealed last month that Western intelligence agencies believed an attack by Russia on a Nato country could come within four years.^

Let’s hope they organise it better than they did when COVID hit us.
I won’t hold my breath.

petra Tue 14-Jul-26 19:43:04

greyfur

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Oh, well. Cheaper than paying for national defence, I suppose.

We are a tiny little island, not a world player.
Where would you like the funding to come from?

We are a small island, not tiny.
I’m assuming you have no knowledge of the intelligence sharing group known as 5 eyes. That would be just 5 countries worldwide.
Note that not one European country is a member.
You are not small and insignificant to belong to this group.

policyexchange.org.uk/events/the-importance-of-the-five-eyes-in-an-era-of-global-insecurity/

David49 Tue 14-Jul-26 19:44:06

I wouldn't be storing food in a freezer if there was a war, electricity will be one of the first targets, dry food, flour, canned, preserves are much more useful

This is linked to a civil defence exercise being planned, a cynical person might say it's a distraction from the parlous state of the UK defence capability. We know from other disasters and conflicts one of the first failures is likely to be the phone and communication network

Cossy Tue 14-Jul-26 20:07:07

I have no issue with having emergency packs, torches and radios which wind up, plentiful supply of batteries, charged up spare power banks for phones, matches, candles, dried food, canned food, water.

We have most of these anyway.

We have an electric oven and gas gob, but if we have power cuts we have no means of cooking!

Cossy Tue 14-Jul-26 20:07:52

* gas hob! (Though dear husband might think gas gob a better description of me!)

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 14-Jul-26 20:39:51

As much as I’d love to face down the Russians with powdered milk and a tin of beans, I can’t help feeling there’s a better solution. 🤔

Casdon Tue 14-Jul-26 20:54:29

I know a lot of people prefer to stick their fingers in their ears and sing la la la to this sort of advice, but we live in dangerous times, and it would only take a major cyber attack to plunge the country into chaos. No Internet transactions means no food, no petrol, no water, no power.

Without going OTT! I’m prepared, the only thing I haven’t yet got is a solar battery set up, which I’d like as a back up for power cuts anyway.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 14-Jul-26 20:56:49

The only thing everyone should do is have cash in the house…

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 14-Jul-26 20:58:15

Without water we’d be stuffed anyway.

Casdon Tue 14-Jul-26 21:01:13

That’s why the advice is to keep a supply of bottled water to last a few days.

watermeadow Tue 14-Jul-26 21:01:34

Whatever rubbish have you been reading? Daily Mail? Get your news from a reputable source, BBC, broadsheet newspaper, and you won’t be worried by fake news and scams.

Desdemona Tue 14-Jul-26 21:03:15

FriedGreenTomatoes2

As much as I’d love to face down the Russians with powdered milk and a tin of beans, I can’t help feeling there’s a better solution. 🤔

This, exactly.

In the event of nuclear attack on the UK, a can of beans and a packet of porridge will not save you.

Casdon Tue 14-Jul-26 21:03:54

Government guidance watermeadow.

greyfur Tue 14-Jul-26 21:05:00

petra

greyfur

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Oh, well. Cheaper than paying for national defence, I suppose.

We are a tiny little island, not a world player.
Where would you like the funding to come from?

We are a small island, not tiny.
I’m assuming you have no knowledge of the intelligence sharing group known as 5 eyes. That would be just 5 countries worldwide.
Note that not one European country is a member.
You are not small and insignificant to belong to this group.

policyexchange.org.uk/events/the-importance-of-the-five-eyes-in-an-era-of-global-insecurity/

Possibly best not to assume too much.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 14-Jul-26 21:05:34

This is straight out of the Soviet political guidebook. "Keep your citizens in a state of alarm to keep them in a state of compliance".

Covid masks anyone?

Fallingstar Tue 14-Jul-26 21:06:15

Always have plenty of loo rolls and pasta - probs because they ran out during Covid - also I tend to stockpile tinned goods, beans, soups, sardines, tuna, and jars of pasta sauce. I also have candles matches and a lighter and torches, have just always had these things. Plus a well stocked first aid box.