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About 600 Swedish soldiers will be sent to Latvia in a few months to join NATO’s ground forces in a brigade led by Canada.
This was reported by SVT.
In January, armored vehicles and hundreds of soldiers will be deployed to Latvia as the first operation of the Swedish army within NATO begins.
“The main goal is to contribute to deterrence, and if we reach a point where Russia begins to act, we will face a whole range of different threats,” said Lieutenant Colonel Henrik Rosdal, who heads the Swedish battalion.
According to the battalion commander, the selection process for those heading to Latvia is nearly complete.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds noted that the Swedish battalion will be an important addition to NATO’s joint efforts to deter Russia in the Baltic region.
“Russia is an existential threat, and we must be prepared for various scenarios. The Swedish mission shows that we, as an alliance, are ready to respond to any type of threat, whether here or elsewhere along NATO’s borders,” he said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard called the Swedish mission historic.
“This is a historic event; for the first time, as NATO members, we are sending soldiers to another member country,” she emphasized.
Recall that in August, a Danish battalion officially joined the multinational brigade of the North Atlantic Alliance in Latvia, which was deployed as part of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.
Danish soldiers arrived in Latvia along with combat equipment.
