Over the years, politicians, experts and analysts have likened Gotland to an aircraft carrier centrally located in the Baltic Sea and favorable for waging war from.

In the 1990s, almost 25,000 soldiers were stationed on the island, but the Riksdag's defense decision in 2004 meant that Gotland between 2005 and 2018 lacked regular military forces.

"Be a relaxed place"

The assessment that Russia did not have the ability to threaten its neighbors contributed to the diet and the defense's focus on international efforts, according to Johan Wiktorin, risk analyst and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Military Sciences.

- It was a very relaxed location in the immediate area, he says about the situation in the early 2000s.

Would a similar settlement take place on Gotland today? 

- It would be completely impossible.

It is clear that tensions have built up over time, and will continue as the Baltic Sea is very important to Russia.

This is an area where we will see increased tensions for a long time to come, probably about ten years, says Johan Wiktorin.

Return to permanent unit

Due to the deteriorating security situation and a more aggressive Russia, the Riksdag and government decided in 2015 that a permanent unit would be placed on Gotland again.

In the spring of 2018, Gotland's regiment P18 was reopened after having been disbanded for 13 years.

In recent years, the military has several times temporarily increased its preparedness on the island and after the military rearmament of recent days, even more resources may be moved to the island, according to information to SVT.

Only the Home Guard remained

Without units, the Home Guard on Gotland between 2005 and 2018 had to shoulder a heavier responsibility than before.

It was up to the Home Guard's around 500 soldiers to take care of the protection of the island's protected objects and ensure that radar systems and the like worked, says Lars-Åke Permerud, former lieutenant colonel in the Armed Forces and for a period head of the Home Guard on Gotland.

- It was surprising when in 2004 it was decided to leave this strategic place.

The world situation was different then and it was not at all the same threatening rhetoric as today, but you could see in front of you that it could change in the future, says Lars-Åke Permerud.