Swedish military begins tracking Russian submarine in the Baltic sea

The Swedish Armed Forces are tracking a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea, the army announced on Wednesday, adding that the operation is part of a routine procedure.
“The Russian submarine entered the Baltic Sea yesterday through the Great Belt Strait,” the army said, referring to the stretch of water between Denmark’s Langeland and Funen islands to the west, and Lolland and Zealand to the east.
“Swedish fighter jets and warships intercepted the submarine in the Kattegat Strait [between Denmark and Sweden] and are now following it,” the statement added.
The army emphasized that this is a “routine operation conducted in close cooperation with allied forces.”
Since Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine, tensions in the Baltic Sea have increased significantly. In January, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that Sweden “is not at war, but it cannot be called peace either.”
Sweden abandoned its long-standing neutrality and joined NATO in March 2024.
Kristersson stressed that the entire Baltic Sea region is subject to hybrid attacks, pointing to disinformation campaigns and a series of incidents involving damaged underwater cables.
“It is very likely that the Russian threat is long-term. Our defence must be long-term as well,” the Prime Minister declared.
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