STOCKHOLM (AP) – Sweden announced Sunday that it will contribute up to three warships to NATO efforts to increase the alliance's presence in the Baltic Sea to prevent sabotage of underwater infrastructure.
The Swedish government announced in a statement that the Swedish military will also donate ASC 890 surveillance aircraft. And the country's coast guard has provided four ships to help monitor the Baltic Sea, with seven more ships expected to be on standby.
Sweden became the 32nd member of the Western military alliance in March. After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it joined neighboring Finland in joining NATO. The government said this is the first time Sweden, as a NATO ally, will contribute troops to the alliance's defense and deterrence forces.
The decision comes amid growing concerns about possible Russian activity in the region following a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea.
Undersea cables and pipelines criss-crossing the oceans connect Scandinavian, Baltic and Central European countries, facilitating trade, energy security and, in some cases, reducing dependence on Russia's energy resources.
Since 2023, 10 Baltic Sea cables have been damaged, affecting Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Lithuania. At least two incidents involved vessels that were later accused of dragging their anchors.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the annual security conference on Sunday that Sweden is not at war, but neither is it at peace, Swedish news agency TT reported.
