France orders hospitals to be ‘ready for war’ amid WW3 concerns

They've been given just months to prepare

The warning comes amidst a year in which the world's next global conflict has felt closer than ever.

The war between Russia and Ukraine continues to draw on despite various protracted peace talks, and in June, US forces carried out a bombing operation on Iranian soil.

While neither of those situations have yet led to the development of a full regional war, this new French warning suggests that a situation of that scale may be just months away.

As first reported by French outlet Le Canard enchaîné, the French Health Ministry are said to have been sending letters to hospitals across La Republique with instructions to begin preparing for a 'major military deployment.'

They've been set the deadline of March 2026, in just six months time.

The French paper adds that as part of the letter, French Minister Catherine Vautrin ordered hospitals to begin building capacity so they can treat foreign and French wounded soldiers.

Le Canard enchaîné does usually produce satirical content which initially led to scepticism over the reliability of the report, however it has since been proven to be genuine by Minister Vautrin.

She says that the warning is part of hypothetical planning.

In a recent TV interview the politician said: "It is perfectly normal for the country to anticipate crises and their consequences. This is part of anticipation, just like strategic stockpiling."

"I was not yet in office when Covid-19 broke out, but let’s not forget that at the time we were at a loss for words to describe how unprepared the country was."