STOCKHOLM (AP) – Sweden will add up to three warships to NATO's effort to increase the alliance's presence in the Baltic Sea as it seeks to protect against sabotage of underwater infrastructure, the government said. Sunday.
The Swedish military will also send an ASC 890 surveillance aircraft, the government said in a statement. And the country's coast guard will put four ships together to monitor the Baltic, with seven other ships behind.
Sweden became the West the 32nd member of the military alliance in March. He followed Finland closely into NATO after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The government said that this is the first time that Sweden as a NATO ally will contribute armed forces to the defense and prevention of the alliance.
Trusted news and daily excitement, right in your inbox
See for yourself – The Yodel is the source for daily news, entertainment and feel good stories.
The decision comes as there is a series of events in the Baltic higher concerns about possible Russian activity in the area.
The undersea cables and pipelines that cross the sea will connect the Nordic, Baltic and central European countries, improving trade, energy security and, in some cases, reducing dependence on Russia's energy resources.
Ten Baltic Sea cables have been damaged since 2023, affecting Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Lithuania. There were at least two subsequent incidents involving vessels accused of dragging their anchors.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at the annual security conference on Sunday that Sweden is not at war, but there is no peace either, Swedish news agency TT reported.
