The Swedish military announced on Wednesday that it was tracking a Russian submarine that entered the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, describing it as a "routine operation" in cooperation with its military allies.
"A Russian submarine entered the Baltic Sea yesterday via the Great Belt," a Danish fjord, the military said in a statement. "Aircraft and warships of the Swedish Armed Forces detected the submarine in the Kattegat (a strait between Denmark and Sweden) and are currently tracking it," it added.
It indicated that it was a "routine operation in close cooperation with our allies," stressing that it had "a comprehensive and accurate view of our immediate surroundings," according to Agence France-Presse.
"No war... no peace"
This comes at a time when tensions in the Baltic Sea have increased significantly since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in January that his country was "not at war, nor at peace."
Kristersson also noted that the entire Baltic Sea region is vulnerable to "hybrid attacks," particularly through disinformation and the sabotage of submarine cables, adding that "the Russian threat is likely to persist for a long time. And our defenses must endure for a long time as well."
It's worth noting that Sweden ended two centuries of military neutrality by joining NATO in 2024.
Sweden eyes Russian submarine entering Baltic Sea
