Two attack planes carrying nuclear weapons were among four Russian jets that violated Swedish airspace earlier this month, it was reported.
According to information provided to Sweden's TV4, the March 2 violation near the island of Gotland was deliberate.
Four planes — two Sukhoi SU-24 attack planes escorted by two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets — had taken off from the Russian air base of Kaliningrad. The two attack planes were equipped with nuclear weapons, sources told TV4.
The Swedish Armed Forces had confirmed the violation soon after it happened, but there was no mention of either nuclear weapons or Russia's intentional nature in the initial statement.
"We assess it as a conscious action. Which is very serious especially as [Russia] is a warring country," Swedish air force Chief Carl-Johan Edström said, TV4 reported.
"I can not rule out incorrect navigation, but everything indicates that it was a deliberate act. That they violated Sweden's borders."
Due to Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine, the Swedish Air Force had increased preparedness and could see early on that Russian pilots were heading for Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea.
TV4’s news program Nyheterna reported that the flyover, which lasted for about a minute, was an attempt to intimidate Sweden.
"This is a signal to Sweden that we have nuclear weapons and we could also consider using them," military strategic expert Stefan Ring told TV4.
Sweden's air force deployed two Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighters that took pictures of the Russian planes.
The incident occurred less than a week after Russian officials threatened "serious military-political repercussions" for Finland and Sweden if they make a move to join NATO.
According to a poll by public broadcaster SVT in April, support for joining NATO is historically high in Sweden at 41%, the Daily Mail reported.
The attack on Ukraine prompted both Finland and Sweden to break with their policy of not providing arms to countries at war by sending assault rifles and anti-tank weapons to Kyiv. For Sweden, it marked the first time offering military aid since 1939, when it assisted Finland against the Soviet Union.
After the Russian Foreign Ministry in late February warned that it would be forced to take retaliatory measures if Finland and Sweden joined NATO, Finland and Sweden said they won’t let Moscow dictate their security policy.
"I want to be extremely clear: It is Sweden that itself and independently decides on our security policy line," Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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