Hospitals in France have reportedly been told to make preparations for war within the next year. According to local reports, France's health ministry wrote to regional health agencies asking hospitals to be ready for a potential "major military engagement" in Europe by March 2026.

It comes amid rising fears over the threat posed by Russia as the Ukraine war continues to rage on. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned Vladimir Putin's forces could be ready to launch an attack on the alliance within five years. It is claimed hospitals in France have been told they must be geared up to receive thousands of wounded French and allied soldiers in the event of major conflict on the continent.

The purported letter sent to France's regional health chiefs was revealed by Le Canard Enchaîné.

The satirical French newspaper reported the note, dated July 18 2025, warned between 10,000 and 50,000 troops could be expected in the nation's hospitals over a period of 10 to 180 days.

"In the international context we are experiencing, it is necessary to anticipate the modalities of health support in high-intensity conflict situations," Paris' health ministry reportedly says in the letter.

Health minister Catherine Vautrin did not deny the letter, saying: "Hospitals are constantly preparing for epidemics, for receptions... it is perfectly normal for the country to anticipate crises, the consequences of what is happening.

"This is part of the responsibility of central administrations," she added, according to Le Figaro.

The letter also reportedly outlines a training push and proposes setting up medical facilities near ports and airports to allow patients to be quickly repatriated to their home nations

It is said the document aims to "anticipate, prepare and respond to the health needs of the population while integrating the specific needs of defence in the health field".

The UK's Strategic Defence Review published in July said there must be a "whole-of-society approach" to British security and defence.

NATO nations have agreed to boost their defence expenditure, with a new target of spending 5% of GDP by 2035.

This is broken down into spending 3.5% on "core defence" and 1.5% on defence-related areas such as infrastructure and cyber security.