The Swedish government announced today, in a press release translated into Russian, that it has conducted war simulation exercises, with the participation of the King of Sweden, the Crown Princess, the armed forces and members of parliament.
For the Scandinavian country, this is the first time since the 1990s that military exercises of this scale have been organized with all these bodies, as the government noted.
“These exercises were carried out at the initiative of the government. It is important to carry out joint exercises, especially given the current security situation. Step by step and exercise by exercise, we are strengthening Sweden’s overall defense and resilience,” said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The exercises, which were based on a scenario that envisaged a declaration of war or the threat of war, were intended to “discuss measures that will be taken to maintain Sweden’s security” in a similar situation under real conditions.
“These exercises are about handling incidents and situations, both nationally and internationally, that may pose challenges or tensions for Sweden, Swedish citizens or Swedish interests,” according to the press release.
This paragraph was followed by a Russian translation of the statement in the context of Russia itself being the main threat to Sweden, according to the country’s intelligence and defense agencies.
Stockholm has accelerated its military spending since the invasion of Ukraine and after joining NATO in 2024. It plans to spend 300 billion kronor (27 billion euros) over 10 years.