The UK government is encouraging households to keep basic supplies such as food and drinking water at home as part of a national campaign designed to strengthen public preparedness for emergencies.
The advice has attracted renewed attention after reports by the BBC and other British media linked the government’s preparedness campaign to a range of risks, including cyberattacks, extreme weather, infrastructure disruption and the possibility of conflict.
However, the government’s guidance is not an announcement that Britain is expecting an imminent war with Russia.
The Cabinet Office’s 2026 resilience report says the UK is facing a more complex range of risks, including what the government describes as increasing Russian activity, major cyberattacks and increasingly severe weather. It says strengthening the resilience of individuals, public services and infrastructure is necessary so the country can respond to disruptions.
The government’s updated National Risk Register, published in July, also identifies a broad range of risks that could affect the UK. These include cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, extreme weather, disruption to essential services and other national emergencies. The government describes the register as a planning tool rather than a prediction that any particular event will occur.
The public preparedness campaign is intended to encourage people to take practical steps that could help them cope if normal services are temporarily disrupted.
That could include having supplies available during a prolonged power outage, water interruption, severe weather event or cyber incident that affects communications and other essential services.
The government’s approach is not entirely new. In earlier preparedness guidance, ministers encouraged households to have several days’ worth of essential supplies and stressed that the aim was sensible preparation rather than panic buying or large-scale stockpiling.
The renewed campaign comes as Britain continues to assess the security implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine. In a statement to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on September 17, the UK government said Russia had intensified its attacks on Ukraine and highlighted the potential wider effects on infrastructure, trade and food security.
The government has also expanded its assessment of cyber risks. The 2026 National Risk Register added several cyber-related threats, including attacks affecting data infrastructure, water infrastructure and police systems.
Extreme weather is another significant part of the preparedness planning. The government’s resilience strategy notes the increasing impact of severe weather, while recent official reports have documented drought conditions and declining reservoir levels in parts of England.
The message from the government is therefore broader than preparing for war. Officials want households to be able to manage short-term disruption while emergency services concentrate on people who require immediate assistance.
The advice reflects a wider shift in Britain’s approach to national resilience, with authorities encouraging individuals, communities and businesses to prepare for a variety of emergencies rather than relying entirely on public services during a crisis.