The Swedish parliament’s defense committee has issued a report warning that a Russian attack on Sweden cannot be ruled out, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT. The report, which will be presented to the public on Monday, states that Russia has lowered its threshold for the use of military force and exhibits a high political and military risk appetite.
The report also says that Russia’s ability to carry out operations with air forces, naval forces, long-range weapons or nuclear weapons against Sweden remains intact. The committee reportedly intends to send a clear signal to Russia with the report.
Sweden has applied to join NATO last year, citing Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. However, the application process has stalled, as Hungary and Turkiye have refused to approve the Nordic country’s bid. Sweden has also increased its defense budget and held its largest military exercise in over 25 years. In addition, Sweden has supplied Kiev with heavy weapons, such as Leopard 2 tanks and Archer mobile artillery guns.