Brits warned to buy £4 survival essential as Russia threatens to target 23 UK sites

Amid growing tensions between Moscow and the West, British households are being urged to keep one surprisingly simple item at home. Security experts say it could prove vital in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, as fears rise following new threats from Russian officials.

The warning comes after Russian senator Dmitry Rogozin, a former deputy prime minister and ex-head of the country's space agency, published what he claimed to be a map of 23 potential UK targets. The sites, spread across all four nations of the UK, were lifted from the government's own Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 and include military and industrial locations.

Dr Arnab Basu, chief executive of the radiation-detection firm Kromek Group, has urged people to stay prepared in the case an attack were to take place.

He told The Mirror that one of the most important steps people can take is to seal windows and doors with strong tape to reduce the amount of radioactive dust entering their homes after a blast.

"For those outside the immediate blast zone, the priority is to get to shelter quickly, ideally the most central part of a building," Dr Basu said.

"Seal windows and doors with tape to reduce radioactive dust entering."

The tape, which can be bought for as little as £4 online or in hardware stores, can limit exposure to fallout particles in the crucial first days following an attack.

While many might instinctively try to flee in search of safety, Dr Basu warned that doing so could actually be dangerous.

"For the next two to three days, remain indoors, preferably in the most central part of your shelter, away from exterior walls and windows," he said.

"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."

His advice mirrors guidance recently issued by the European Union, which has urged citizens across its 27 member states to prepare for up to three days of self-reliance in the event of a major crisis.

The EU's preparedness campaign recommends that households stockpile essentials such as food, bottled water, torches, matches, ID documents, and basic medicines.

EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib presented the plan earlier this year, stressing that "today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected."