Marking national day on Wednesday, Sweden called up 22,000 reservists for an exercise of a scale not seen in 40 years as tensions simmer between the West and Russia.
A total of 40 battalions are carrying out nationwide snap drill manoeuvres to ramp up military security at a time when once cordial post-Cold War relations with Moscow have cooled. The army hopes at least half of Sweden's reservists will respond to the first mass call-up since 1975 for primarily land-based surveillance, defence and logistics tasks.
"Our mission is to strengthen Sweden's military defence and improve our operational capabilities," said Sweden's Supreme Commander Micael Byden. "We are testing the chain of mobilisation for around half our organisation, something we have not done since 1975," Byden said in a statement.
He described the reservists as "crucial to allow the remainder of the armed forces to defend Sweden" and concentrate on frontline duties. The Swedish government last month issued an emergency pamphlet to prepare citizens in the event of war, natural disaster or cyber attack. Titled "If Crisis or War Comes", the brochure - Sweden's first since 1961 - contains advice on how to take shelter, what foods to store and what information to trust amid heightened concern about Moscow's military ambitions and intentions. Russia does not share a border with non-NATO member Sweden, but it has a naval base just across the Baltic Sea in the Kaliningrad region.