Brits urged to stock up on £4 emergency item as Russia sends threat to strike 23 UK areas

A security expert has urged Brits to keep one £8 item in their cupboards to prepare for the horrific event of a nuclear attack on home soil.

The advice comes as a string of recent threats from top Russian officials and propagandists have sparked fresh fears over World War Three breaking out.

Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian senator and war combatant, has warned that dozens of British defence-linked sites will be targeted, with more than 20 locations in the UK under threat.

The former deputy premier and space agency chief has shared a map of 23 defence sites as part of Russia's latest warning. The locations consist of both military and industrial sites across all four nations of the UK.

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Rogozin lifted the map from the UK government's policy paper 'Defence Industrial Strategy 2025: Making Defence an Engine for Growth'.

The eerie threat comes after former British defence secretary Ben Wallace called for "making Crimea uninhabitable and unviable from a Russian point of view" this week.

Propagandist Vladimir Solovyov - whose TV outbursts are scripted by the Kremlin - also said: "Dmitry Rogozin today posted a reminder of targets in Britain that could be destroyed first. The idiots will get what's coming to them, they'll just get what's coming to them."

While it's thankfully still unlikely that Russia would unleash such atrocities in Britain, the sinister remarks have prompted many to wonder what you should do in the event of a nuclear strike, to attempt some chance of survival.

And security pro Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek Group plc, told the Mirror that there's one item that would prove vital in the immediate aftermath of a strike.

He said: "For those outside the immediate blast zone, the priority is to get to shelter quickly, ideally the most central part of a building. Seal windows and doors with tape to reduce radioactive dust entering."

Window sealing tape can be purchased for as little as £4 from retailers like Amazon, with Screwfix also currently selling a version for £7.99.

While many people would be tempted to flee in search of the safest possible place, Dr Basu, who has previously authored a White Paper on "rethinking our readiness for rapid response radiation monitoring in the face of nuclear incidents", has advised this may not be the smartest move.

He explained: "For the next two to three days, remain indoors, preferably in the most central part of your shelter, away from exterior walls and windows. Survival depends less on fleeing and more on shielding yourself from fallout, limiting exposure and relying on stored resources until immediate radiation levels begin to fall."

It comes as all households in the EU were recently urged to prepare three-day survival kits for use in the event of a future conflict.

The European Union has encouraged all citizens across its 27 member states to be equipped for 72 hours of self-reliance, advising people to stockpile essentials such as food, bottled water, torches, matches, energy bars, and ID documents in a waterproof pouch.

The initiative, part of a broader "preparedness strategy", was formally presented by EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib earlier this year. It follows advice from a report given to the European Commission by Finland's ex-president Sauli Niinistö last year.

"Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected," Ms Lahbib said.

Asked about what citizens should stockpile, she referred to a video on her social media, in which she presents an emergency bag showing her stockpile, including ID documents in waterproof casing, canned food, bottled water, matches, a Swiss army knife, cash, playing cards, medicines and a small radio.

Several European nations already have similar preparedness measures in place. Swedish authorities recommend keeping at home a good supply of water, energy-rich food, blankets and alternative heating, as well as investing in a battery-powered radio.

Norway advises people to stock up on non-essential medicines, including iodine tablets in the case of a nuclear incident. And German households have been urged to adapt their own cellars, garages or store rooms for use as bunkers, while housebuilders will be legally obliged to include safe shelters in new homes – something Poland has already done.