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There is sharp shooting here. But: just for practice. While the 75th anniversary of NATO is being celebrated in Brussels, the soldiers from the Gotland Regiment are training in the mud. The largest Swedish island is now important for the entire European defense - especially against Putin's Russia:
Colonel Dan Rasmussen, Commander Gotland Regiment
»The island has so far been important in the national Swedish context, as it was the furthest east outpost in the Baltic Sea for Sweden. But with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, it is in the middle. Since then, we have had the opportunity to use this island within NATO as a starting point for future air and sea defense.
Gotland is about 730 kilometers as the crow flies from the Russian metropolis of Saint Petersburg. In addition, it is only about 730 kilometers from here to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Russia has stationed its Baltic fleet there.
Over the past year, however, the Baltic Sea has almost completely become a NATO inland sea. As a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Finland joined the defense alliance on April 4, 2023. Sweden followed on March 7th this year, and with it the island of Gotland.
The Gotland Regiment includes, among other things, several Leopard 2 tanks and an amphibious battalion.
Colonel Dan Rasmussen, Commander Gotland Regiment
»The Swedish units stationed on the island are there to defend the island so that no one comes here who shouldn't be here. But there are also a number of sensors and systems that NATO uses on the island to ensure that there is no one in the air or at sea that we don't want here.
Before joining NATO, Sweden had been formally militarily neutral for 200 years; the country had not been involved in any wars since 1814. It's over.
Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden
»A new era has begun, today we stand here, consistently, together for peace, for freedom - one for all, all for one. Thanks."
Some of those who are supposed to implement the motto are still very young. Swedish conscripts train in the forests of Gotland. Unlike the professional soldiers in the force, everything is new for them.
Tess, conscript
»You have to take in so much information. You have to learn everything from scratch. Everything you learned in civilian life you have to relearn in the military: how to walk, how to talk, how to eat. You have to learn everything again - how to cross the street.
Jacob, conscript
»The training is fun and you get closer to each other. It's still a little cold, but it feels good. We had a good start to our military service, that’s a good feeling.”
Compulsory military service, which was suspended in 2010, was reintroduced in 2018 - even then as a result of Russian aggression. The reintroduction of compulsory military service has been discussed in Germany for months, and the Ministry of Defense plans to present possible models for this in April.