US and Russia to hold nationwide emergency drills on the same day

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Amid heightened tensions between the two countries over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US and Russia have each announced they will be holding nationwide emergency alert exercises on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Newsweek reports.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that its emergency drill would begin at 2:20 p.m. ET, involving a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for TVs and radios, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for phones, Newsweek reports.

In a statement, Orlando Olivera, Coordinator of FEMA’s Caribbean Area Office in Puerto Rico, said the drill was being conducted to “ensure that the systems continue to be effective” and that “the public understands and uses these alerts and warnings about emergencies, particularly those on the national level, as we work to strengthen emergency readiness among our communities.”

Announcing its own drill, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MCHS) told the Russian public: “Hearing the sound of a siren, you need to remain calm and not panic, turn on the TV—any publicly accessible channel or radio—and listen to the information message.”

While the announcements sparked social media speculation about preparations for nuclear war, the Russian ministry said its drill was being conducted “to be confident in the performance of all existing systems for the timely delivery of signals and information to the population in the event of emergency situations,” Newsweek reports.

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