UK households should prepare 72-hour emergency survival kits over fears that Russia could sabotage Britain’s energy pipelines, potentially leading to significant disruptions, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday, citing unnamed security experts. Russia has repeatedly denied speculation it has plans to damage Western energy infrastructure.
According to the British tabloid, the UK’s energy system has faced challenges and came close to blackouts during the past winter, relying on emergency reserves and electricity imports from Denmark to maintain supply. The situation has also been complicated by the British government’s push to phase out fossil fuel and nuclear power plants in favor of renewable energy.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail pointed out that this could leave the UK vulnerable to potential sabotage of the energy infrastructure that connects Britain to the outside world, particularly by Russian ships.
In light of this, security experts told the paper that British households should also follow the EU’s advice of assembling a three-day survival kit. This kit should include water, non-perishable food, medicines, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, identity documents, and a Swiss Army knife.
“We know that the Russians are active in the North Sea and have the power to cripple our energy links. We need to become much more self-sufficient, and quickly. And households should be ready for all eventualities,” the source said.
While the paper claimed that the fears about potential Russian sabotage also hinge on the fact it “was linked to a string of apparent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea” in recent months, Western investigators have failed to find any proof of this being the case. Moscow has vehemently denied the speculation about its involvement, calling it “absurd.”
Due to concerns about a potential energy crisis, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to “reignite our industrial heartlands” by investing in carbon capture and storage, and creating more wind farms while also increasing defense spending, a government source told Daily Mail.
Still, the paper’s source also noted that the government currently has no plans to encourage households to pack survival kits.
In January, the Russian embassy in the UK dismissed claims that Moscow poses a threat to underwater infrastructure. Officials noted at the time that the British establishment and media were fueling “anti-Russian hysteria” to justify increased military presence in regions such as the Baltic and North Seas.
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