Putin may have sent nuclear bombers into Swedish airspace
Did Russia send nuclear weapons planes against Sweden that violated their airspace? Just as NATO forces avoid entering Russian airspace or deploying NATO troops on Russian territory, the Kremlin has so far refrained from attacking NATO territory. Local reports – which we can not verify independently – however, seem to indicate that Russia may have violated Swedish and EU airspace on 2 March.
Swedish TV station TV4 and European Pravda both report that the Russian air force deliberately violated Swedish airspace in early March to intimidate Sweden at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
What happened?
According to reports, a group of fighter jets left the Russian air base in Kaliningrad on March 2. There were a total of four aircraft, two of which were Su-27 fighter jets and the other two were Su-24 bombers. The plane is said to have been equipped with nuclear weapons.
Considering that the Russians had already invaded Ukraine by this time, the Swedish Air Force was already on high alert and marked the plane on its way to Swedish airspace, and determined that they were on their way to Gotland.
The jet eventually entered the Swedish airspace and stayed there for about a minute. This prompted the Swedish Air Force to deploy two JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets in response. However, reports have not confirmed whether the aircraft that the Swedish military deployed were also equipped with nuclear weapons.
If true, it is potentially a much bigger story than the Kremlin’s recent comments that tactical nuclear weapons could be deployed in the event of an “existential threat” to Russia. This potentially shows that Russia is more than just talk when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, given that they may have already been deployed.
“It simply came to our notice then. This is very serious, especially because they are a country at hand. ” That’s what the air force commander Karl-Johan Edström says.
Can this drive Sweden into NATO?
If Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want NATO to expand, then it was probably the wrong decision to send Russian bombers equipped with nuclear missiles.
Although Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sergei Belyaev threatened Sweden and Russia to join NATO earlier this month, it seems more likely than ever that Sweden will join the international military alliance.
“It goes without saying that [if] Finland and Sweden join NATO, which is a military organization to begin with, it will have serious military and political consequences. ” Belyayev told Interfax. “It would require a change in the whole range of relations with these countries and require retaliation.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it seems more likely than ever that Sweden will join the international military alliance.
Sweden’s Moderate Party has made the application to join NATO one of five major election promises when the country goes to its national election in September.
“Sweden belongs to NATO,” said party leader Ulf Kristersson at the party’s annual congress. “The question is … no longer ‘if?’, But exactly ‘when?’ and exactly ‘how?’. ”
Kristersson promised to do “everything” he could as Swedish prime minister to “do everything to lead Sweden into NATO during the next term.”
Sweden and Finland as well recently participated in NATO military exercises last week. As members of the European Union, the two countries maintain a close relationship with NATO forces even though they are not officially members.
While Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson rejected calls from the opposition party the Moderates to join NATO in March, that situation may change depending on the outcome of the September election.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher and journalist based in New York. He reports on Britain, Europe and the United States, working to analyze and understand left- and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to current issues. His books and research articles explore these themes and suggest pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.