(MENAFN) Sweden has revealed plans to begin accumulating food and agricultural reserves for the first time since the Cold War, responding to what authorities describe as an escalating danger from Russia.

However, Moscow has firmly denied these assertions, maintaining that it presents no threat to any member states of NATO or the EU.

On Tuesday, the Swedish Board of Agriculture announced the creation of emergency reserves consisting of grain and other essential goods, intended to secure public access to adequate nourishment “in the event of a serious crisis and, in the extreme, war.”

The initiative is supported by an allocation of approximately $57 million in the 2026 national budget.

Initial storage sites will be located in northern Sweden, an area chosen for its “strategic military importance” and its relatively low ability to sustain grain production. Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “there is no time to lose.”

The project is expected to span from 2026 to 2028, gradually building the reserves.

According to the Board of Agriculture, the objective is to ensure that the population can receive around 3,000 calories per person per day during periods of heightened emergency.

In parallel developments, legislators in neighboring Finland have revealed plans to carry out subterranean drills next month, simulating operations under wartime scenarios.

This decision also stems from perceived threats originating from Russia.

Moscow has consistently condemned what it labels as anti-Russian propaganda and alarmism promoted by Western European officials.

Russian authorities argue that such claims lack merit and serve merely to legitimize increased defense expenditures and the continual militarization of the EU and NATO alliances.

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