Russian naval exercises seen as a threat
Sweden has interpreted Russian naval exercises in the Black Sea as a regional threat. As well as being a tourist destination Gotland is strategically important and is often referred to as being Sweden’s fixed aircraft carrier.
The Swedish deployment
The Swedish military has sent four naval warships and an unspecified number of ground forces and warplanes to Gotland in response to the Russian exercises. Gotland is across the Baltic from the Russian exclave Kaliningrad which has hosted some Russian naval exercises. While Russia wants to show its naval readiness it is unlikely to make Gotland a target.
Reasons for Russian exercises
Military experts say that Russia may be reacting to recent NATO exercises in the region, as well as unrest in Belarus against president Lukashenko. but also to US President Trump’s decision to redeploy troops from Germany to Poland.
The Russian exercise
Russia’s Defense Ministry described the exercise as a mock amphibious landing of marines. The first stage involved deploying three large assault vessels the Korolyov, Kaliningrad and Minsk who set sail on Tuesday from the Kaliningrad region. They are accompanied by two minesweepers and a corvette. The ships will travel up near the coastline of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, all former Soviet Republics but now NATO members. Then near St. Petersburg Russia the marines will stage a mock amphibious landing.
Gotland, Sweden’s largest island was occupied by Russian forces in 1808 during the war with Finland but about a month later Swedish forces drove out the Russians. The island has not been contested since. As shown on the appended video Sweden had begun to militarize Gotberg over a year ago;
