Security policy Finland, like Sweden, has increased its military readiness, says the expert: “It’s just not common to talk about it”

Homeland|Security policy

To the Baltic Sea Russian naval landing craft are a military bulge linked to Russia’s political torture to the West, says Doctor of Political Science Jukka Tarkka.

In recent days, he has been following the situation in which the Swedish media have reported on Russian ships heading for the Baltic Sea and the increase in Swedish military readiness on the island of Gotland. Sweden flew another hundred troops to the island on Thursday.

“It’s one way, of course, to mark the will to defend the country, but there are a remarkably few hundred men,” Tarkka says on Saturday.

Read more: Sweden increases military readiness on Gotland: more than 100 more soldiers transferred to the island on Friday

Tarkka believes that Sweden’s announcement of a hundred soldiers on Gotland is also only a small part of how Sweden is now preparing. He believes coastal artillery and naval missile units alike have increased their readiness.

“These are certainly located there as well, but yes, Russia has effective means of finding out their location on a small island. But they still have a bigger message than a hundred thunderstorms, ”he says.

“I don’t know the exact facts, but I’m sure that the readiness of the Finnish Air Force, Navy and Coastal Defense is also at its peak, especially in Åland. But it’s not just talked about. It has not been the norm in Finland. ”

Again, the standard response of the Defense Forces in recent days has been not to comment on operational readiness issues.

Exact wrote in early 2020 about the neutrality and unarmedness of Åland book on, Åland – a pawn in power politics in the Baltic Sea (Docendo), in which he recalled what kind of loaded weapon an archipelago occupied by an army would be in the direction of Stockholm, for example.

“It is a very sensitive place if nasty things start to happen in the Baltic Sea. Then Finland will also be in the broth, because Finland’s connections to the west pass through it. And not just maritime and cable connections, but also cultural and historical ties, ”Tarkka recalls.

Warships Driving from Kola to the Baltic Sea is, in Tarkka’s opinion, a show of strength for the whole of the West, but he does not believe that they will be brought into the area for their actual use, ie landings.

“Russia is building a position here where it can be dissatisfied. It’s part of the game, but the unfortunate thing is that the game is played hard in the barrel, ”Tarkka says.

“Landing boats in the Baltic Sea bring gloomy tension, of course, but that’s no surprise. Russia is playing on its own terms. ”

There is, of course, nothing miraculous about the fact that Russian warships are sailing in the Baltic Sea. After all, Russia has naval bases in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, for example. In the past, there was talk of the risks of airspace in the Baltic Sea, but now also of the movements of warships.

It does not actually revolutionize the military balance of the Baltic Sea, as it is also known that Russia already has a huge missile arsenal that reaches targets extensively around the Baltic Sea.

“The Baltic Sea is a cramped place for Russian ships to move, with NATO on one side, Sweden on the other and Finland on the north. In that sense, you can feel a little anxious. ”

Exact assumes that co-operation between Finland and Sweden is at stake.

“The assumption is that the Finnish and Swedish air forces and navies have stepped up their joint capabilities, but the effectiveness of the co-operation is based on the fact that outsiders know as little as possible about it. Things should not be announced in advance. ”