Swedish military ramps up presence in Baltic Sea due to Russian activity

The Swedish corvette HMS Visby under way on the Mysingen Bay on October 21, 2014 on their fifth day of searching for a suspected foreign vessel in the Stockholm archipelago. (Fredrik Sandberg/AFP/Getty Images)
The Swedish corvette HMS Visby. (Fredrik Sandberg/AFP/Getty Images)
Sweden has ramped up its military readiness this week in the Baltic Sea and on Gotland in response to what a high ranking official in the Armed Forces called a “deteriorating security situation in the region”.

It follows concerns over increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea and heightened tensions in nearby Belarus.

“The focus of the high readiness action is to reinforce naval surveillance in the Baltic Sea, at sea and from the air,” Jan Thornqvist, the Swedish Armed Forces’ Commander of Joint Operations, said in a statement.

“The military presence in Gotland is also increased.”

For analysis, Radio Sweden speaks to Anna Wieslander, secretary general for the Swedish Defence Association and a director at the American think tank, Atlantic Council.

Click the play button below to hear the interview with Anna Wieslander.

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