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The two Russian planes that violated Swedish airspace earlier this month were equipped with nuclear weapons. Their flight to Gotland Island on March 2 is being described as a deliberate act aimed at intimidating Sweden, local media say.
A total of four planes had taken off from the Russian Kaliningrad air base. The squadron consisted of two Sukhoi 24 bombers, accompanied by two other Sukhoi 27 fighter jets.
The violation of Swedish territory lasted about a minute. “This is a signal to Sweden, through which the Russians wanted to say: Look, we have nuclear weapons and we consider using them,” military strategic expert Stefan Ring told TV4 Nyheter. The incident came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened military action with neighboring Sweden and Finland if they sought to join NATO.
Swedish officials expressed considerable concern over the incident, and said it was unprofessional and irresponsible behavior on the part of Russia. Sweden cut military spending after the end of the Cold War, but when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, the Swedish parliament agreed to make the turnaround. Three years later, Sweden resumed compulsory military service and in January 2018, reopened its garrison on the island of Gotland.
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