Swedes step up military contingency over Russian activity

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A top military chief in Sweden said Friday that they are seeing increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea which “deviate from the normal picture” to explain why the Scandinavian nation’s military has raised its preparedness. Lt. Gen Leif Michael Claesson said Friday that “it does not have to mean an increased threat.” Sweden, which is not part of NATO, has among others noticed a number of landing craft from Russia’s northern navy. The Swedish Armed Forces’ operations manger said that some of the measures will be visible, others won’t. They are already visible on the strategically important Baltic Sea island of Gotland that sits a little more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad.