Russia Unfazed by Tiny Contingent on Obscure Swedish Island

Russia's military will by no means be affected by the deployment of 150 Swedish troops to the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, political analyst Igor Nikolaichuk told Sputnik.

In an interview with Sputnik, political analyst Igor Nikolaichuk remarked that   deploying 150 Swedish servicemen to the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea is was a purely symbolic move which has essentially zero effect on Russia's defense capability.

The interview came after the Swedish Supreme Commander ordered the 150 troops conducting drills in Gotland last month to remain there, citing the security and political situation in the Baltic region.

Earlier, Swedish leaders toyed with the idea of stationing soldiers on the strategically-located Baltic island and even agreed to strengthen the island's staff as of late 2017.

Gotland Island

© Flickr / Hannes De Geest

"External factors in the world have deteriorated over time," the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Micael Byden, told Swedish national broadcaster SVT. He explained that the decision to maintain a permanent battle group was obviously taken with an "aggressive" Russia in mind.

Commenting on the issue, Igor Nikolaichuk brushed aside the West's wishful thinking about the Swedish soldiers' deployment in Gotland allegedly signaling Sweden's drive to fully embrace NATO membership and help the alliance strengthen its Eastern European flank.

"The deployment of just 150 Swedish soldiers in Gotland is certainly like buckshot to an elephant as far as Russia's security is concerned," he said.

GOTLAND: Sweden’s Fortified Baltic Island https://t.co/HrtE2mCLhk pic.twitter.com/LPsOaFak7W

— Richard Reynolds (@RichardReynol17) 1 ноября 2016 г.

According to him, the US develops special tactics in its relations with neutral countries, with Washington hoping that the closer ties Sweden and Finland maintain with the alliance will finally lead to the enhancement of NATO's potential in the Baltic region.

"The Americans have repeatedly prompted the neutral Nordic countries to show their efforts to strengthen security in the region. Namely, they should avoid standing on the sidelines and instead focus on countering the 'Russian threat' and showing unity in a desire to safeguard peace in the Baltic flank of NATO," Nikolaichuk said.

📸: New photos show a lot of Swedish troops and military vehicles deployed to #Gotland. #Sweden #BalticSea. (October 2016) pic.twitter.com/SX2WRJMJnR

— Already Happened (@M3t4_tr0n) 7 октября 2016 г.

"That is why the past few months have seen an ever-increasing hysteria in Sweden, related to the need to strengthen the country's defense capability," he added, referring to the Swedish media's allegations of an "aggressive Russia" and the need to brace for "Russia's attack."

Gotland became largely demilitarized in 2005, when the last permanent military personnel left the island. Earlier, however, Swedish authorities agreed to bring soldiers back and boost Sweden's defense budget for 2016-2020 by 10.2 billion kronor ($1.2 billion).

Byden, meanwhile, said that despite the fact that Sweden is not believed to be under immediate threat, the Armed Forces will take responsibility for the country's sovereignty with increased military capability. The troops will stay on Gotland until a fixed unit has been established by mid-2017.

Russia boasts 845,000 active troops, 22,550 tanks, and 1,399 combat aircraft, according to an October 2016 article in The Independent, which doesn't take Russia's reservists into account. Gottland is home to less than 60,000 people.