Swedish defense chief warns NATO preparedness could be tested by Russia in future

Swedish Chief of Defense Michael Claesson warned Monday that Russia could test NATO's preparedness in the future and that the security situation in the Baltic Sea region may worsen.

Speaking in an interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT, Claesson renewed his recent warning that Russia could seek to challenge NATO by attacking somewhere in the Baltic Sea region.

He said Moscow may be attempting to test whether all NATO members would come to the defense of an ally under attack and what divisions such a scenario could expose within the alliance.

"They know that the entire Western world is getting ready. Then I ask myself, why would one wait to exploit perceived vulnerabilities," Claesson said.

The Swedish military chief said such an operation could be carried out on a limited scale without requiring Russia to redeploy troops currently fighting in Ukraine.

Claesson also warned that the security situation in the Baltic Sea region is expected to deteriorate in the coming years due to increased activity by Russia's shadow fleet.

"The fact that we are seeing more escort activities and that security around the shadow fleet is being tightened, of course there are risks of escalation," he said.

He urged Sweden and neighboring countries to continue increasing their preparedness amid growing regional tensions.