When Russia tenses its muscles in the Baltic Sea, Sweden is preparing for the worst
In a farmhouse on Gotland, a Swedish rapid reaction force of 150 soldiers settles on the Baltic Sea’s largest island.
Deployed in haste from northern Sweden, the troops and their equipment arrived with a C-17 transport plane and a ferry over the weekend in response to Russia’s naval saber race in the region and the deployment of 100,000 soldiers at its border with Ukraine.
Officially, the move is called a “contingency adjustment”, and senior Swedish military officers emphasize that the deployment does not pose an increased threat to Sweden’s territory from Moscow – although Sweden’s defense minister recently said that an attack could not be ruled out.
The islands in the Gotland chain are of strategic importance not only for Sweden but for the entire Baltic Sea region, as they are only 300 km from the Russian eclava Kaliningrad, which is home to Russia’s Baltic navy.
In recent weeks, Moscow has increased the number of “Landing Ship Tank” (LST) vessels operating in the region from four to six. The Ropucha-class ships, based in Kaliningrad, are designed for troops and vehicle landings, so maneuvers in the Baltic Sea last week made the Swedes take note.
“These will not do any form of D-Day surgery but can potentially lift enough strength to create a real headache, or grab a limited plot – like an island,” said Robin Häggblom, a Finnish military blogger and marine expert.
Russia has also deployed a newer and larger type of LST from the northern fleet to the Baltic Sea. Ivan Gren class Pyotr Morgunov can carry a dozen tanks, 40 amphibious armored ships, 300 soldiers and a contingent of attack helicopters.
Häggblom said that these extra offensive capabilities mean that Russia’s military presence in the Baltic Sea has reached a critical mass. “Things can get serious,” he said.
Russian landing craft have since left the Baltic Sea, but the extra troops remain on Gotland until further notice.
The Baltic Sea situation an early test for a new PM
The situation has been an early test for Sweden’s new Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, who was appointed only in November.
Andersson has already had to refute Russian claims that NATO should limit its expansion plans, and while Sweden and its neighbors Finland are closely linked militarily to NATO, none of the countries is a full member of the 30-nation bloc.
“All states have the right to freely choose their own security arrangements,” Andersson said earlier in January after speaking with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö; and after a conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The next day, she tweeted that Sweden would deepen its partnership with NATO.
“Hybrid tactics”
Although public opinion in Sweden is more positive about joining NATO than in Finland, there is still no majority in the latest polls in any of the countries for membership.
Andersson has also reached beyond political boundaries and invited leaders of all parliamentary parties to talks this week about the current security situation.
– I believe that Swedish authorities, and in particular the Armed Forces, clearly want to signal that Sweden will resist all hybrid tactics and prepare for a deteriorating security situation, says Björn Fägersten at the Foreign Policy Institute.
“I think there is even more reason to communicate that we do not accept Russia’s vision of a future European security system based on spheres of influence where we would lose our agency.”
There has been current international support for Swedes and Finns as well, with British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace visiting both countries in January to meet with senior leaders, and this week he issued a statement saying it was “clear that the Kremlin is trying to dictate what sovereign states may or may not choose had been rejected across the political spectrum. “
The United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland are part of a military alliance of ten nations called the Joint Expeditionary Force and are made up of northern European countries that can act together or as part of a NATO operation.
“We stand in solidarity with those who share our values: including our NATO allies and partners,” such as Sweden and Finland, Wallace said in a statement.
US President Joe Biden also offered his support in a phone call to his Finnish counterpart on Tuesday afternoon.
“In the long conversation, the presidents discussed the European security situation, the serious tensions at Ukraine’s borders and opportunities to find solutions,” Niinistö’s office said in a press release.
Fägersten said that if Russia’s ideas of establishing a new military system were to have an impact – where countries were not free to choose whether or not to join NATO – Sweden’s current security strategy would be to train and cooperate with partners inside and outside Europe. , is very negatively affected. “
“But it will be difficult to resign from the position that Russia has taken. So it is clear that the Swedish Armed Forces wants to prepare for whatever comes,” he added.
Mysterious drone sightings
To further complicate the current security situation in Sweden, there has been a stream of military-style drones around sensitive areas, which are taken seriously enough for the country’s security service to lead the investigation.
On Friday, drones were seen near a nuclear power plant south of Gothenburg, and near Oskarshamn’s power plant in the southeastern part of the country; while on Monday another drone took place near Forsmark’s nuclear power plant north of Stockholm.
Swedish police appealed for more information, and local media have cataloged other suspected drone sightings near two northern airports; and close to the parliament, government buildings and a royal palace in the capital.
The drones have been described in the media as “military-class” machines with large wings, and the Sapo Security Police say that they work closely with the police and military as part of their investigation into possible intrusions into the airspace around the nuclear power plants. but would not be drawn on any details so far.
– We are leading an investigation into reported drones in the vicinity of the Swedish nuclear power plants. That is our commitment, says Sapo spokesperson Fredrik Hultgren to Euronews.
“Other reported drones are a matter for the regular police.”
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