The Swedish Defense Forces brought a large number of additional troops to the island of Gotland on Saturday. The Gotlanders find the military presence good but also confusing.
Visby
Johan Lundqvist Runes woke up early on Saturday and began renovating the basement of his property. The goal is to turn a residential house into a pub.
At half past eight he woke up with a strong vibration and thunder. He looked out the window and saw an armored car rumbling past his home. The flag of Gotland fluttered on top of the wagon.
“I wonder what miracle is happening here. Then I followed the wagon to the harbor and saw that at least no Russian ships could be seen here, ”he says on Saturday afternoon.
Johan Lundqvist Runes and Marie Runes say they are concerned about the security situation on Gotland.
The tank, more specifically the Stridsfordon 90, is an attack by the Swedish Defense Forces, several of which have been patrolled around Gotland in recent days. In addition, soldiers have moved through the streets, ports and the airport.
The Swedish defense forces have relocated a large number of troops to the island due to the intensified security situation in Europe. The situation is exacerbated, among other things, by Russia’s demands that no new members be allowed to join NATO, and by the troops that Russia has deployed on the Ukrainian border.
Friday night A troop of 120 soldiers flew to Gotland, and against the night more arrived on the island. The Defense Forces has said that troops have been transferred to Gotland also because more Russian landing boats have sailed in the Baltic Sea than usual. In three weeks, their number has grown from one to six, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter said.
Johan Lundqvist Runes was born and raised in Gotland, visited the island by the army in the 1980s and is rooted in the small town of Slite on the east coast of the island.
He is accustomed to the Swedish army training regularly on the island. What is happening on Gotland now is something completely new.
“This is a strong mobilization. I have never seen a similar activity here, even though there are regular big exercises here. ”
Another difference is that the exercises are announced in advance. Now the tanks came to the street unexpectedly.
The Stridsfordon 90 assault tank drove Slite along Storgatan towards the harbor.
Saturday The Swedish Defense Forces continued to transfer troops to Gotland. After about half past four in the afternoon Finnish time, dozens of military vehicles drove out of the ship in the port of Visby.
The HS followed the unloading of the ship, after which army vehicles quickly drove out of the port in long hoses.
There were several dozen different vehicles.
Swedish Defense Forces equipment in the port of Visby on Saturday.
Johan Ekstrand led Swedish troops traveling in an assault tank.
Gotland is the largest island in Sweden and is of great strategic importance in the Baltic Sea. The importance of the island was also emphasized by the Swedish Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist, who was interviewed on Swedish radio on Saturday.
“Whoever rules Gotland is crucial to both air and sea activity. It is important that we send a message that we take the situation seriously and we will not be surprised, ”Hultqvist said.
According to Hultqvist, the Swedish army now wants to show up. And it really looks like Gotland.
Hultqvist compared the strategic importance of Gotland to the islands of Åland and Bornholm. That is why Gotland is also under threat.
“It’s clear there is a risk. An attack on Sweden cannot be ruled out, ”he said.
Bridge the risk of an armed attack on Gotland at the moment is low, says the colonel Mattias Ardin, who is the commander of the Gotland regiment.
According to the colonel, there is no cause for concern, although the situation is tense.
“The external situation is tense. There is now quite a lot of military activity in Europe. Based on the situation in the Baltic Sea region, the Defense Forces have made an assessment that resources should now be allocated to Gotland, ”says Ardin.
Commander of the Gotland Regiment, Colonel Mattias Ardin.
How many soldiers are there on Gotland now?
“I’m not going to answer that,” Ardin says.
According to Commander Ardin, the tanks are not quite an unusual sight on the street scene of Gotland, as conscripts are trained on the island and combat vehicles are driven as part of the exercises.
“It’s not uncommon to practice here. It happens every week. ”
Still the situation is not common now, says Johan Lundqvist Runes.
The movement of Russian ships, the movement of the Swedish army and the security situation in Europe as a whole have made him thoughtful.
“It’s starting to think about things like where the nearest shelter is. And how would we survive if we were in that home when something happened. Should we start preparing for it: buy drinking water and extra food, ”he lists.
He considers it a good thing that the Swedish Defense Forces have come to prominence, but it has also caused concern.
“I guess it says something. I guess they wouldn’t just come here anyway. ”
Ulla Nilsson followed the movement of the assault tanks in Slite in the north of Gotland.
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