British families have been told households should have a survival kit which could sustain them for at least three days, in case the breaks out.

With the country becoming increasingly reliant on other countries for essentials such as gas, the UK could quickly become cut off in the event a major pipeline is attacked by an enemy, such as . Earlier this year millions across the UK were warned they could face blackouts. Many are unprepared for the eventuality, with defence sources now agreeing people should prepare survival kits which could last at least 72-hours and help keep people safe.

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The kits should include essentials such as food, plenty of bottled water, torches, matches, ID documents and a Swiss Army knife. A source told : “We know 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.”

Last month the pushed for all households in the 27-country bloc to prepare a three-day survival kit in case of a major conflict or natural disaster crisis. EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said every citizen should be self-reliant advising families to stockpile essentials.

She said: “Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected. Knowing what to do in case of danger, out different scenarios, that's also a way to prevent people from panicking.”

Ms Lahbib also highlighted the need for the EU to create a "strategic reserve" and amass other crucial supplies including firefighting aircraft, medical, energy, and transport equipment; and specialised tools to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear dangers.

Last year a .told Brits what items they would need to survive a major disaster. They included wind-up torches, tinned foods and bottles of water a you'll need to make it through a biosecurity crisis, , prolonged power outage or another pandemic at home, according to the new list at . And don't forget to pack plenty of batteries.

It comes as last month a Russian warship was spotted in the English Channel with its crew manning weapons, as it escorted an arms shipment thought to be for use in the war The Baltic Leader was a large cargo ship which had been previously sanctioned by the USA in 2022 for transporting weapons for .