Moscow is lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons and strengthening its infrastructure less than 300 km from Sweden’s border, EurActiv.com reports. 

Russia has significantly intensified the construction and modernization of nuclear facilities near Sweden, particularly in Kaliningrad, Belarus, and the Arctic, according to new satellite imagery.

“We are closely monitoring Russian capabilities in this area. It is about both Russian investments in nuclear weapons capability and the development of a new doctrine,” said Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson.

Key developments include:

• Kaliningrad base – new fencing, communications systems, and up to 100 tactical nuclear weapons
• Asipovichy, Belarus – reinforced storage facilities and improved transport logistics
• Kola Peninsula and Novaya Zemlya – new underground storage for sea-launched missiles

In November 2024, the Kremlin revised its nuclear doctrine to permit the use of nuclear weapons not only in response to a nuclear strike, but also in cases of any “critical threat,” including conventional attacks supported by NATO countries. Such strikes can now be interpreted as “joint aggression” against Russia or Belarus.

These changes, along with Russia’s withdrawal from key arms control treaties, are creating a dangerous precedent, with Moscow increasingly using nuclear rhetoric to intimidate the West.

“Russia has lowered the threshold for threatening to use nuclear weapons, and we have seen since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that it has done so more than 200 times at different political levels,” Jonson emphasized.

Earlier, expert Oleksii Izhak said that Russia was creating a risk for its nuclear force with its own hands. By deploying elements of its nuclear triad in the war against Ukraine, it is turning its strategic delivery systems into legitimate military targets, including strategic aviation. 

Satellite images reveal that Russia has expanded and modernized at least five nuclear-related facilities near European borders in recent years, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported on June 16, citing new imagery obtained from Planet Labs.

One of the most notable developments is in Kaliningrad, where the suspected nuclear weapons storage site has undergone significant reconstruction.

Images taken in May 2025 show the addition of triple-layered fencing, new buildings, and advanced communications equipment. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski previously said that up to 100 tactical nuclear warheads might be stored at the site.

Kaliningrad, a militarized Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania, is a key concern for NATO because of its advanced missile systems and expanding nuclear infrastructure.

The Osipovichi base in Belarus, a former Soviet nuclear storage facility, is also being renovated. Satellite imagery shows new air defense installations and a modernized loading platform for rail-based logistics.

In Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic archipelago long linked to Soviet-era nuclear testing, several new buildings have appeared, reinforcing its role as a potential site for future test activities.

On the Kola Peninsula, near the borders with Finland and Norway, Russia has built about 50 storage bunkers for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and constructed a specialized pier for loading those missiles onto submarines, according to the imagery.

Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson responded to the findings, saying Stockholm is "closely monitoring" Russian nuclear capabilities. Sweden officially joined NATO in March 2024 after years of non-alignment, citing escalating Russian threats as a primary reason.

The Kremlin has repeatedly used nuclear threats to pressure Ukraine and Western countries since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

‘Russians lie about everything’ — Ukraine hits out at Kremlin claims after yet another drone strike on Kyiv

“This is a deliberate tactic of terror,” Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Swedish company Saab and German defense startup Helsing have conducted combat trials of a Gripen E fighter jet piloted by artificial intelligence, pitted against a real-life human pilot, The War Zone reports. 

The first of these test flights took place on 28 May. By the third combat sortie on 3 June, the AI agent, dubbed Centaur, was ready to engage in a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air battle against a crewed Gripen D fighter.

During the process, the AI agent rapidly accumulated experience and improved its decision-making skills in BVR combat, a battlefield Saab describes as “like playing chess in a supersonic with advanced missiles.”

Saab has confirmed that the Centaur AI system could potentially be expanded to close-range dogfights within visual range (WVR) as well. However, the initial focus remains on BVR engagements, which the company describes as the most critical aspect of air combat, a point reinforced by the ongoing air war in Ukraine.

In a series of dynamic BVR scenarios, the Gripen E’s sensors received target data, and the Centaur AI autonomously executed complex maneuvers on behalf of the test pilot. The culmination of these scenarios saw the AI agent providing the pilot with firing cues for simulated air-to-air weapon launches.

Meanwhile, Marcus Wandt, Saab’s Chief Innovation Officer and a test pilot himself, remarked that the test flights “so far point to the fact that ‘it is not a given’ that a pilot will be able to win in aerial combat against an AI-supported opponent.”

“This is an important achievement for Saab, demonstrating our qualitative edge in sophisticated technologies by making AI deliver in the air,” said Peter Nilsson, head of Advanced Programs within Saab’s Aeronautics business area.

Insights gained from this program will feed into Sweden’s future fighter program, which aims to select one or more next-generation air combat platforms by 2031.

Today, we will discuss the increased Russian provocations and calls for the denazification of the Baltic countries. Not wanting to be caught off guard and taking these threats seriously, these countries are already taking measures to improve their security.

He accused these nations of showing high aggressiveness and claimed they were underestimating the devastating consequences of provoking Moscow.

This statement echoed a wave of similarly hostile rhetoric from Russian state officials and media figures over the past two years.

Questioning the sovereignty of nations

Russian officials, including former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, have repeatedly questioned the sovereignty of the Baltic countries.

Medvedev declared that the Baltic states belong to Russia and accused NATO of harboring anti-Russian intentions. State television host Vladimir Solovyov has gone even further, stating that these countries don’t need independence and that their sovereignty is a joke.

Such statements are not isolated; they reflect a coordinated campaign to frame the Baltics as illegitimate states and NATO’s eastern flank as a battleground ripe for denazification, a chilling repeat of the Russian justification for its war on Ukraine.

The return of a dangerous word: “denazification”

The term denazification is particularly troubling, as it has historically been used by Russia as a pretext for aggression. Prior to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow framed its war aims in identical terms, alleging that Kyiv needed to be cleansed of Nazis despite Ukraine being a functioning democracy with a Jewish president.

Now, with similar language being used against Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the fear is that these statements may not be mere propaganda but early signs of a more expansive regional strategy.

NATO’s Achilles heel

From a military standpoint, the Baltic states represent a significant weakness for Russia, making them a tempting target.

Kaliningrad, Russia’s exclave on the Baltic Sea, is completely isolated and surrounded by NATO territory, so prominent Russian media and political figures are constantly calling for the establishment of a direct land route to Kaliningrad.

Most important is the narrow Suwalki Gap between Poland and Lithuania, as control over it would either sever or restore Russian land access to Kaliningrad, depending on who holds it.

Russia’s Baltic fleet faces a NATO wall

At the same time, since Finland and Sweden joined NATO, the Baltic Sea has become almost entirely encircled by NATO members, severely limiting Russian maritime maneuverability.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet, already small and aging, is no match for the combined naval power of NATO states in the region. On land, the Baltic countries host forward-deployed NATO battle groups and conduct regular military exercises to prepare for rapid mobilization.

These factors make any quick land grab by Russia, a tactic used in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, far less likely to succeed here. This only seems to enrage the Russian government further, fueling its hostile campaign.

No longer just words

Russia’s scare tactics extend beyond mere threats. The Kremlin actively invokes the presence of Russian-speaking populations in the Baltics, around 24% in Estonia and Latvia, as a rationale for intervention, much like it did in Ukraine.

These demographics are a legacy of Soviet-era population transfers and remain a sensitive issue.

Russian state media routinely portrays these ethnic Russians as oppressed and in need of protection, laying the narrative groundwork for a potential future military action.

Russia repeats Ukraine’s playbook

The Baltics are not ignoring these signals. They have witnessed firsthand how Russia used similar rhetoric to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

What was once dismissed as empty words has become a forerunner of real war. As such, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are bolstering their defenses, strengthening their ties with NATO, and preparing for the possibility of battle.

The line between information warfare and justification for full-scale war is growing thinner, and with every new threat from Russia, the sense of urgency increases.

Overall, Russia’s repeated calls for the denazification of the Baltic states and its threats of direct retaliation are viewed with the utmost seriousness by their governments.

The parallels with the lead-up to the war in Ukraine are stark, and after a series of provocations in the last months, the stakes are higher than ever.

For Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, preparing for the worst is not paranoia. It’s a necessity, and they are actively working to improve their security.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Stockholm International Music Competition maintains extensive Russian ties despite Swedish government directives prohibiting cultural cooperation with Russian actors, an SVT investigation revealed.

According to the investigation, the competition employs Russian jury members, accepts fees through sanctioned Russian banks, and partners with state institutions supporting Ukraine’s invasion. Fourteen jury members work for Russian state organizations that publicly back the war.

Stockholm’s Historical Museum terminated its agreement after learning of the connections. “This contradicts government policy,” the museum announced. However, Nacka municipal music school continues hosting events this week.

Competition co-founder Galina Erngren denied political involvement. “There is no politics in the competitions. It’s just music, nothing more,” she told SVT.

The investigation found Russian participants pay entry fees directly to Sberbank accounts due to Swift sanctions. Co-founder Dmitry Mikhailov, registered in St. Petersburg, launched the Stockholm competition in 2010 after creating the original Russian version.

SVT identified 18 of 47 jury members with Russian origins. Fourteen work at state institutions directly supporting the invasion, including Herzen University, which sends humanitarian aid to the front, and the Mariinsky Theatre, which provides free tickets to soldiers since 2023.

The Swedish government banned cultural cooperation with Russian actors in 2022. The competition has operated annually in Stockholm for 15 years.

Read also:

• The Telegraph: Ukrainian drones prove most tanks are garbage – but not all are dead yet
• Lithuania at risk: Ex-CIA chief warns Russia to target Baltic State after Ukraine
• Who is dancing and where if journalism is dead? Trump and Orbán know
• SBU detains four Kherson residents who worked for Russians during occupation

Stockholm has allocated 4.8 billion Swedish kronor (nearly $504 million) to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, according to a statement published on the Swedish government's website on May 26.

The Swedish government approved a decision on May 22 to instruct the Swedish Armed Forces to contribute to multilateral funds and initiatives aimed at bolstering Ukraine's defense.

This financial contribution is part of Sweden's 19th aid package for Ukraine, which was unveiled earlier this year.

Sweden will contribute financially to the international coalitions formed within the framework of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG), also known as the Ramstein format, the statement read.

Sweden will donate 100 million kronor ($10.5 million) to the demiming coalition for the purchase of equipment, 300 million kronor ($31.5 million) to the drone coalition, 50 million kronor ($5.2 million) to the maritime security coalition for training of Ukrainian Navy personnel within the framework of Operation Intercharge, and 30 million kronor ($3.1 million) to the security and IT management coalition for the creation of the Ukrainian Delta system.

The Swedish government will also provide an additional 1 billion kronor ($105 million) through the Danish model of arms procurement, meaning direct purchases from the Ukrainian defense industry.

An additional 418 million kronor ($43.9 million) will be allocated for the purchase of armored vehicles, 550 million kronor ($57.7 million) for ammunition procurement initiatives, and more than 1 billion kronor ($105 million) for the purchase of air defense systems and long-range drones.

The financial assistance comes as European countries seek to bolster Ukraine as future backing from the U.S., the leading military donor, grows increasingly uncertain under President Donald Trump, even as a new Russian offensive looms.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Debunking Putin’s ‘root causes’ claims

As Russia continues to bombard cities and towns across Ukraine, Russian officials have hardened their position against a ceasefire, continuing to repeat the obscure demand that the war’s “root causes” be addressed before agreeing to any truce. For months, the phrase “root causes” has become a go-to talking point

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta

Fishing nets once discarded by Nordic fishermen are now protecting Ukrainian soldiers from drone attacks. YLE reports that old fishing nets from Sweden and Denmark are being installed above trenches and shelter entrances to slow or neutralize falling explosives and disrupt Russian drone operations. The unconventional method has proven useful as drones play an increasingly central role in modern warfare.

According to YLE, as one of the responses to drone threats, Ukraine has begun deploying old Nordic fishing nets to interfere with these airborne threats.

Danish fishing nets, rendered unusable after Brexit barred Danish fishing in UK waters, have been donated to Ukraine in large volumes. YLE notes that a March report indicates that Denmark alone has provided nets worth approximately €2.5 million.

Anti-drone cages appear on Ukrainian Mavic UAVs

Additional significant donations have come from private individuals. Bernard Christensen, a member of a Polish-Ukrainian aid organization, told Sweden’s SVT:

“All kinds of nets are extremely useful. Ukrainians are resourceful and find a use for every net we can get to them.”

The nets are effective in delaying the detonation of aerial explosives and stopping drones before they reach their targets. Also, drone propellers sometimes get entangled in the netting, preventing drones from completing their mission.

Russia also adopting similar methods

Ukraine is not the only one utilizing such unconventional tactics. Russian troops are also deploying fishing nets to cover entire roads and protect logistics routes.

Participating in interactive adult live-streams or ordering custom porn clips are about to be punishable by a year in prison in Sweden, where a new law expands an already-problematic model of sex work criminalization to the internet.

Sex work in Sweden operates under the Nordic Model, also known as the “Equality,” “Entrapment,” or “End Demand Model,” which criminalizes buying sex but not selling sex. The text of the newly-passed bill (in the original Swedish here, and auto-translated to English here) states that criminal liability for the purchase of sexual services shouldn’t have to require physical contact between the buyer and seller anymore, and should expand to online sex work, too. 

Buying pre-recorded content, paying to follow an account where pornographic material is continuously posted, or otherwise consuming porn without influencing its content is outside of the scope of the law, the bill says. But live-streaming content where viewers interact with performers, as well as ordering custom clips, are illegal.

Criminalizing any part of the transaction of sex work has been shown to make the work more dangerous for all involved; data shows sex workers in Nordic Model countries like Sweden, Iceland, and France are put in more danger by this model, not made safer. But the objective of this model isn’t actually the increased safety of sex workers. It’s the total abolition of sex work. 

This law expands the model to cover online content, too—even if the performer and viewer have never met in person. “This is a new form of sex purchase, and it’s high time we modernise the legislation to include digital platforms,” Social Democrat MP Teresa Carvalho said, according to Euractiv. 

"Like most antiporn and anti-sex work legislation, the law is full of contradictions, all of which come at the expense of actual workers," Mike Stabile, director of public policy at U.S.-based adult industry advocacy organization the Free Speech Coalition. "Why is it legal to consume studio content, or stolen content, but illegal to pay a worker directly to create independent content? If you're really fighting exploitation, why would you take away avenues for independence and push people to work with third-party studios? Why is the consumer liable, but not a platform? These laws make no sense on their face because the goal is not actually to protect workers, but rather to eradicate commercial sex work entirely. Through that lens, it makes much more sense. This law is just another step in making the industry dangerous to work in and dangerous to access, to push it toward back alleys and black markets."

Sweden’s law isn’t isolated to European countries. In the U.S., Maine adopted the Nordic Model in 2023.

"I'm sure they would love to replicate this here, and while we're still a few steps away from them having the judicial clearance to do so, we've seen recently how quickly a moral or political imperative can shift," Stabile said. "People need to realize that criminalizing porn is not ever really about just criminalizing adult content — it's about criminalizing representations of sexuality and gender, and ultimately criminalizing those practices and communities."

The expansion of the law in Sweden goes into effect on July 1.  

Updated 5/21, 3:34 p.m. EST with comment from the Free Speech Coalition.