Every Dutch household should stockpile enough emergency supplies to last for 72 hours in case of war, a cyber attack, or other major disaster, justice minister David van Weel told the Telegraaf.

Until now, the recommendation was to buy enough essentials to last 48 hours but that has now been extended following a European guideline on stepping up civil resilience.

Van Weel said discussions about increasing the European defense budget at Thursday’s emergency EU summit in Brussels should be “matched by an equally rapid increase in civil resilience.”

The government has prioritised five sectors that need protection from sabotage, including logistics, electricity, water and food, healthcare, and government services.

The focus at the moment is on the war in Ukraine, the minister told the paper and said cyber attacks by Russia are related to the support given to Ukraine. Security services have warned that once a quick peace in the region has been achieved, attacks could accelerate.

“When the war ends, [Russia] has ample scope for cyber attacks,” the minister said, pointing out that Europe could be more vulnerable if the the United States withdraw support.

Van Weel compared the situation to the Cold War. “People knew what to do when the air raid siren sounded. Citizens had a task to fulfill in case of emergency. But after the fall of the Berlin Wall we cut back on defense spending and civil resilience,” he said.

An EU proposal is expected within weeks but Van Weel has decided to prioritise the three-day survival package.

Meanwhile, citizens are called on to be proactive. In a worst-case scenario communications from The Hague may be impossible, he said. “We are asking mayors to come up with suggestions about what can be done locally to support the vulnerable. Perhaps there should be facilities that people can go to and an emergency power supply to charge phones,” he said.

A plan with solutions for attacks on the five sectors that have been prioritised should be ready before the summer.