Sweden’s Latvia NATO Deployment – What We Know

Sweden sent 550 troops from one of its mechanized infantry battalions to Riga, Latvia, on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade on NATO’s eastern flank.

Latvia borders Russia to the east and Russian ally Belarus to the south.

The Swedish Armed Forces, in an official press release, said the deployment marked the country’s “largest commitment yet since joining NATO” in March 2024.

Deployment details

The Swedish Armed Forces said troops and an unspecified number of vehicles from its 71st Battalion, part of its South Skåne Regiment, disembarked from the ferry in Riga on Saturday, guarded by units from the Latvian National Guard.

AP News said the mission consists of 550 troops.

Photos in the press release showed multiple Swedish Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) tracked armored combat vehicles – a model that has seen action in Ukraine with a solid reputation among crews for its modern capabilities.

Military news outlet Army Recognition said Sweden deployed 48 CV90s and 12 Strv 122 tanks for the mission. It said the South Skåne Regiment, with a total strength of 1,100 troops, comprises the 71st and 72nd mechanized battalions.

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The battalion will be stationed near Adazi northeast of Riga at a Denmark-run camp shared semi-annually with Sweden, the press release says. The mission will initially last for six months, and the authority of the battalion will be transferred to the brigade in February once the battalion settles in Camp Valdemar at Adazi.

The journey was escorted by the Swedish Air Force and units from the Swedish and Latvian navies. HSwMS (His Swedish Majesty’s Ship) Karlstad (K35), a Swedish corvette commissioned in 2015, was seen escorting the ferry.

In its press release, NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia (MNB-LVA), headed by Canada, acknowledged that the Swedish contingent is joining, saying that it is “one among eight NATO brigades stationed along the alliance’s eastern border.”

Sweden said multiple officials were present at a welcoming ceremony.

“The battalion was welcomed by a delegation including Latvia’s Minister of Defense, Andris Spruds, Division Commander Major General Jette Albinus, and Brigade Commander Colonel Cédric Aspirault.”

“The latter also took the opportunity to present the Swedish commander with the brigade’s patch, which will soon be on the shoulder of everyone in the Swedish battalion,” the press release says.

Lieutenant Colonel Henrik Rosdahl, the battalion’s commander, called the deployment “a historic day” and a “new normal.”

Sweden, alongside new NATO member Finland, issued pamphlets in November 2024 to their citizens and cautioned of an impending war with Russia.

On Jan. 12, Sweden also announced its decision to send up to three warships and an ASC 890 surveillance aircraft to bolster NATO defense against sabotage of underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.