Putin's war warning shakes Europe: NATO builds war bunkers, Britain stockpiles food | Gravitas

Across Europe, governments are preparing for the possibility of conflict. While Britain is telling households to stockpile essentials, other European nations are expanding shelters and civil defence systems.

Amid this, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning to Europe. Commenting on his telephonic conversations with the leaders of Norway and Finland, Putin said that Russia was prepared for a potential war with Europe, even though it did not want one.

It is worth noting that he had earlier warned of using all weapons in Russia's arsenal, including nuclear ones, if its territory of Kaliningrad was attacked.

While supporting any steps towards restoring ties with European countries, the Russian president also expressed caution. He made it clear that there would be no winners if tensions escalated further.

Now, Putin's remarks come barely days after UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting affirmed that NATO should be prepared for a war with Russia. Earlier, he also warned that Britain's adversaries could be ready to launch an attack by 2030, giving the UK and its NATO allies only about 1,000 days to prepare.

He also cautioned against growing threats from cyberattacks, organised crime and climate change.

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Amid this, the UK also launched the 'Be Ready' campaign to boost household emergency preparedness. The government advised people to keep a three-day supply of cash, bottled water and non-perishable food at home to deal with emergencies and cyberattacks.

Now, Europe's fears of Russia opening a new war front come amid a string of suspected sabotage, drone and arson incidents across the continent in recent months. On its part, though, Russia has dismissed allegations of hybrid warfare.

For instance, Lithuania charged two suspects with terrorism-related offences over an attempted arson attack on a Starlink base station on October 18. It is treating the attack as a Russia-linked act of sabotage aimed at undermining Ukraine's military capabilities.

In another development, police arrested two Belarusian nationals for planning sabotage attacks in southern Germany at the behest of a foreign power. The suspects were observed handling highly flammable liquids near a railway line and a power transmission line.

Now, amid heightened tensions, Estonia is set to construct 150 bunkers along its northeastern border with Russia's Leningrad region. This is part of the Baltic Defence Line initiative announced by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2024. It entails building a series of bunkers along their borders with Russia and Belarus to defend against potential attacks.

Earlier this month, Lithuania's parliament voted to advance a constitutional amendment removing a ban on weapons of mass destruction. Subsequently, Russia warned its neighbour against deploying nuclear weapons on its soil.

While Europe is preparing for the worst, it seems the US is not on the same page. According to reports, Pentagon officials have urged several NATO countries, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to soften their public language about the threats posed by Russia.

For instance, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby reportedly told a European official that there should be no "poking" directed at the Russians.

Reports also suggested that the Pentagon is considering a sharp reduction in America's troop presence in Europe. As the US focuses on threats in West Asia, it is pushing European NATO members to assume more responsibility for their own defence.

Now, is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also succumbing to US pressure after the recent curbs on Starlink and Starshield?

Well, a new report claimed that Ukraine's military has paused its strikes against Russian oil refineries. This unofficial pause is expected to last until after the US midterm polls. The Kremlin, though, has denied this.

In fact, it accused Ukraine of striking an oil refinery in the Samara region. Two people reportedly died in the aftermath of the strike.

Remember, Trump had blamed Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries for a spike in diesel prices, adding to growing dissatisfaction among Americans ahead of the midterms.

However, Russia continues to escalate its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and cities.

Late last night, Russia reportedly attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles, killing one person. Falling debris damaged residential buildings, while a strike on warehouses caused a fire on the eastern side of the Dnipro River.