The UK Government has issued official advice on nuclear strike safety, revealing that brick, stone and concrete buildings offer the best protection. The guidance comes as the Kremlin has issued fresh threats to unleash its vast nuclear arsenal against Britain.
Moscow was incensed upon learning that British-manufactured long-range drones had been used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, and promptly threatened to fight back. The Russian Embassy in London warned in a statement on August 17: "The United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis."
Official shelter guidance
The embassy added: "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer ... The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support of Kiev's terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay."
Should Vladimir Putin follow through on his threats, the UK Government has published guidance on seeking protection in the event of an attack on British soil, particularly involving nuclear weapons, reports the Daily Star.
The official advice states: "Go into any building as soon as possible. Buildings made of brick, stone, concrete or similar materials provide the best protection, but being inside any building is better than being outside. If you are already inside a building, stay there."
Indoor safety measures
In the event of a radiation emergency, everyone should remain indoors and keep well away from windows in order to minimise their exposure to radiation. Authorities also advise switching off all fans and air conditioning units and sealing all external doors, windows and vents wherever possible.
Any period spent sheltering indoors is likely to last between one and two days. The government also stresses the importance of "tuning in."
Its guidance states: "Monitor the news and follow official UK advice on GOV.UK for what to do next. Any changes to advice will be communicated to you via official sources - this may be via the radio, television, internet, social media or the police."
Follow official advice
The guidance continues: "Emergency services and local authorities will provide information about what has happened and what you should do. This may be provided via the radio, television, internet, social media or the police.
"What you need to do to protect yourself will depend on where you are in relation to where the radiation emergency is, so it is essential to follow the advice provided where you are. Radiation cannot be seen, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, so it is important that you follow the advice given to you, even if you can't tell that anything has happened. If you are overseas, follow the local official advice."
It adds: "You may be advised by the emergency services to evacuate, and you should be prepared to do this, if needed, following advice issued for your area. You should not evacuate unless advised to do so, as leaving shelter may increase your exposure to radiation.
"If a radiation emergency happens outside the UK, it is very unlikely that you will need to do anything different from normal if you are in the UK at the time. Any official advice for the UK public will be given on the television, radio, internet or social media."
