Lauge Risom Koch 
NATO is strengthening the Swedish island of Gotland as a strategic fortress in the Baltic Sea amid growing concerns over potential Russian military threats.
NATO is strengthening its military presence on the Swedish island of Gotland as concerns grow over Russia’s ability to threaten the Baltic region.
Military planners view the island as one of the alliance’s most important strategic positions in Northern Europe.
Strategic stronghold
According to Digi24, citing Politico, Sweden and its NATO allies are working to transform Gotland into a heavily fortified military hub.
The island sits in the centre of the Baltic Sea, roughly 300 kilometres from Russia’s heavily militarised Kaliningrad region.
Last week, around 18,000 troops from 13 NATO countries took part in exercises on the island designed to prepare for potential Russian aggression and hybrid warfare scenarios.
Diplomats told Politico that NATO is even considering the permanent deployment of long-range air defence systems on Gotland.
Key position
Swedish Armed Forces commander General Michael Claesson warned that NATO must remain prepared at all times.
“We should not sit idly by and wait until the Russian armed forces recover to a certain level, but we must always be on alert,” he said.
According to Politico, defence experts believe control of Gotland would provide dominance over much of the Baltic Sea.
Niklas Granholm of the Swedish Defence Research Agency described the island as an “invincible aircraft carrier” because of its central location and military value.
Military expansion
Sweden has invested more than €200 million in upgrading Gotland’s military infrastructure.
According to Politico, air defence capabilities have been restored and a regiment equipped with Leopard 2 tanks and CV90 armoured vehicles has returned to the island.
Commander Andreas Gustafsson said the force stationed on Gotland is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
New IRIS-T air defence systems are also scheduled to be deployed from 2028.
Lessons from Ukraine
The military exercises included 17 Ukrainian drone operators who participated in training scenarios.
According to Politico, Swedish forces were forced to pause offensive exercises several times because the Ukrainian operators repeatedly identified and “destroyed” targets using drones.
“The main conclusion for me is that we need to train a lot more with drones,” Gustafsson said.
NATO commanders increasingly view Ukrainian battlefield experience as essential for preparing alliance forces for future conflicts.
Sources: Digi24, Politico
