German government tell teachers to ‘prepare children for war’ as tensions fly high

It comes as the threat from Russia increases

The move was confirmed in a statement to Handelsblatt newspaper and would see schoolchildren taught how to respond in volatile war-like scenarios.

Alarming recent geopolitical developments have seen experts issue warnings that Russia could be ready to strike NATO territory within a few years.

This has prompted calls for civil protection to 'be given greater focus, including in schools'.

Roderich Kiesewetter a defence spokesperson for the conservative CDU party said it was 'absolutely necessary' for schoolchildren to train for emergencies, calling them 'especially vulnerable and particularly affected in an emergency'.

He is calling for mandatory basic training in disaster response, modelled on systems in Finland, which has been preparing citizens for the possibility of a war with Vladimir Putin's Russia for years.

Berlin has said it is ready to provide all schools and teachers with national crisis materials via the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance.

The ministry also approved a new EU Commission initiative on wartime readiness, and recommended that all German citizens prepare emergency supplies to last at least 72 hours.

The EU is now pushing for every household in the 27-nation bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready.

EU citizens are told to stock up on a dozen key items, including matches, ID documents in a waterproof punch, bottled water, energy bars and a flashlight, as part of their 'resilience' kit.

Germany is pushing for preparedness following a rise in concern that the country is unprepared for a major conflict.

Besides having a poorly equipped army, Red Cross officials have warned that massive swathes of the population would be left utterly defenceless in a real emergency.

Internal assessments suggest the civil protection system is totally underfunded, disorganised and outdated.

Estimates suggested Germany would need to spend a staggering €30 billion to bring its civil defence up to minimum wartime standards.

Security advisors have also warned Britons to pack a 72-hour survival kit amid fears of a plot by Russia to sabotage the UK's energy pipelines.