UK advised to stockpile food as Russian Attack fears grow

I’d be more concerned over an attack on infrastructure such as our power supply.

Have you thought how you’d cope if the country lost electricity.

This is a serious threat to our country.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

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".

FGT (Hi!)

I understand your thought, but believe in this instance it's really not applicable. This is normal 'home-front' preparedness and awareness. Civil Defence and all that. Something we've not really had to think about much in the, what - last 25/30 odd years? Apart from Covid - but to some extent, there were contingency plans for that also... not specifically Covid, but a 'virus' outbreak. How it was handled is a different matter - but there were home-front plans in place anyway.

To be honest if anything scary big happened in a cyber attack I’d lose my appetite anyway. Always happens when I’m anxious about anything.

Me, too. Nothing kills the appetite and triggers the gag-reflex like anxiety. I had a dose of that in my mid 30s - lost SO much weight I had to wear some of my son's shorts and t-shirts... and he was only 7.

I've read Jo Callaghan's Body of Lies recently (awesome crime series with an AI detective) in which a cyber attack takes down the National Grid. It was eye-opening as I had no idea how everything relies on connectivity nowadays. E.g. water treatment plants can't operate without electricity so the water supply would stop very quickly after a power outage. I think it may have been simpler to find workarounds during WW2. In today's world when everything is digital, without electricity/Internet everything would halt. Food wouldn't reach the shops, traffic chaos etc. It's scary.

I think it’s most likely to be a cyber attack, but who knows, really as surprise is part of it. Yes, the means of at least boiling a kettle is important, as is having some tinned and packet food that doesn’t need to be cooked to be edible,

Mamardoit

I think that might be a project for DH. We still have the old pressure cooker in the garage. He could distill the water. All he needs is some of that rubber tubing. I'm sure he could source that on the internet.

Well, he sounds inventive. But your pressure cooker and tubber-tubing won't cut it. You need sophisticated filtration systems to eradicate the pollutants, chemicals, microplastics and 'forever' chemicals!

You will be safer using bottled water. There's a time and a place for them!

Use the pressure-cooker to make stews etc - and I'm sure your DH can think of a use for the rubber-tubing, if he buys it!

Just a couple of days ago our main phone system went down across our state. Trains were cancelled, emergency services didn’t respond , people died and it was chaos. That was just one thing. These days attacks come in different forms - and they still haven’t explained what exactly happened. They wouldn’t tell us if it was some sort of enemy attack, Im sure of that !

"You’ve missed the point David49, because the greatest risk is not of open warfare. It’s far more likely that infrastructure will be targeted, underwater cables cut, water supplies polluted, drone attacks on power stations, etc. etc."

I didn't miss the point, the most likely attack is north sea gas pipelines there isn't a lot most of us could do beyond an alternative form of heating and cooking.

Yes, the guidance is for all eventualities. I don’t see anything amiss with reinforcing what should just be sensible steps to protect ourselves.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

To be honest if anything scary big happened in a cyber attack I’d lose my appetite anyway. Always happens when I’m anxious about anything.

Exactly this, and I would probably need some extra toilet rolls 😁

Emergencies are not just military. Extreme weather conditions are now seeing more and more people being cut off from electricity for days and with roads flooded and trains after big storms and flooding, Cyber attacks do not have to be caused by a foreign power. There are all sorts of criminal groups, extreme political groups and, people, who I can best describe as anarchists - people prepared to disrupt other people's lives for the 'fun' of it.

David49

There isnt actually a serious threat for the UK the only likely aggressor is Russia and they gave their hands full with little Ukraine. If any NATO country was attacked the combined European defence forces would respond including nuclear if needed. There would be no question of defence "budget" whatever was needed would be spent, on a war footing Russia is no match for Europe.

I do remember the last Civil Defence review, the recommendations were not acted on because of the cost and further cuts have been made since, a navy without even a single operational Destroyer available is a joke. We have 2 Aircraft Carriers, one is in dock for repairs the other swans off to the US without any aircraft on a good will visit. We gave Ukraine Challenger Tanks but we can't supply ammunition for them

You’ve missed the point David49, because the greatest risk is not of open warfare. It’s far more likely that infrastructure will be targeted, underwater cables cut, water supplies polluted, drone attacks on power stations, etc. etc.

To be honest if anything scary big happened in a cyber attack I’d lose my appetite anyway. Always happens when I’m anxious about anything.

David49

greyfur

Oreo

The government is also preparing us mentally to not mind a lot more spending on defence.

What does that mean please?

More taxes and less benefits.

Yes

A lot of us keep a good stock of basics in already and it shouldn't take too much extra to feel ready for anything!
I think it maybe the younger 'city types' buying coffee & brunch at work, then out to dinner or 'takeawaying' who find have nothing but olives and gin

There isnt actually a serious threat for the UK the only likely aggressor is Russia and they gave their hands full with little Ukraine. If any NATO country was attacked the combined European defence forces would respond including nuclear if needed. There would be no question of defence "budget" whatever was needed would be spent, on a war footing Russia is no match for Europe.

I do remember the last Civil Defence review, the recommendations were not acted on because of the cost and further cuts have been made since, a navy without even a single operational Destroyer available is a joke. We have 2 Aircraft Carriers, one is in dock for repairs the other swans off to the US without any aircraft on a good will visit. We gave Ukraine Challenger Tanks but we can't supply ammunition for them

greyfur

Oreo

The government is also preparing us mentally to not mind a lot more spending on defence.

What does that mean please?

More taxes and less benefits.

Elegran your recipe reminds me of being a hard up student. One of my favourites was tinned meat balls, sauté onion, add a tin of tomatoes, a good pinch of curry powder and served with pasta of choice. Sometimes topped off with cheese if feeling flush. Fed all four of us in the flat.
Fortunately we have an allotment, so hopefully would survive on stored veg, jam and pickles. We might be able to barter our surplus!

Oreo

The government is also preparing us mentally to not mind a lot more spending on defence.

What does that mean please?

Burnham should find the money for the Defence budget.

The government is also preparing us mentally to not mind a lot more spending on defence.

All these shelves full of baked beans. We'll have no problem fuelling the camping gas stoves.

If you seldom eat baked beans normally, there are other (less explosive) ways to get protein, and stocking up on tins of stuff you DO eat would be more sensible - if there is no emergency, they will get used in ordinary meals before they are out of dat, and replaced.

Maybe suggestions for tinned meals that are tasty, long-lasting and quick to heat up, which you would eat in non-emergency, would be useful?

I'll start with Stockwell's Stewed Steak in gravy. As a meal in normal times, it makes an excellent pie if you empty it into a pie-dish, put a pastry top on it and bake it, and without the pastry it could be heated up over a camping stove with tinned potatoes and tinned carrots if the power failed.

J52

veronica678

You do realise that if there is no electricity, the sewage system will fail, so all that loo roll will be useless!

Then it’s having a garden to dig a latrine.

Quite, J52.
And we will still want to wipe afterwards, veronica678.
Paper will be all the more important then, if the water supply is disrupted!

Calendargirl

nanna8

I wouldn’t have thought water would be a problem there. Maybe here where we are the driest continent on earth. During the war the uk managed just fine and I am sure they could go it alone again if necessary. Very fertile land and plenty of rainfall.

The war was 80 years ago, things have changed a bit.

Solar panels covering farmland, climate change causing heatwaves.

Many parts of the country have had no rain for ages, and none forecasted. Hosepipe bans in many areas. Reservoirs empty and none being built, or not enough to cope with the ever expanding population.

Just like the third world it's population growth is a big problem for the UK we really do have to get serious about it.

Dylis

Isn't a cyber attack an attack on computer systems? How would that affect food on our shelves? Perhaps the time has come to ensure that all services to have non digital back up plans.

A cyber attack will affect everything. Food production/distribution, NHS, water and power supply. Everything.

That is why some are saying have cash too. Cards won't work even if there is food to buy.

It won't be like the 3 day week or the winter of discontent. Back then there was still manual back up for everything.

I think this is all about alerting us to the possibility that Russia will use all kinds of attacks to destabilise the West in the future, but that’s only if Putin is still alive.
Nobody here should start stockpiling food right now.