The Swedish island of Gotland, home to about 60,000 people, has again become central to defense planning in the Baltic region. Its location between Stockholm, Kaliningrad, and St. Petersburg allows control over sea and air space, meaning that any seizure of the island would threaten not only Sweden but also Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden abandoned its long-held neutrality and became NATO’s 32nd member in March 2024. Military presence on Gotland has since been rebuilt. Conscripts are serving on the island, while local authorities and the armed forces are preparing for scenarios including a blockade, cyberattacks, and supply disruptions.
“Everything changed after 2022,” says Gotland Regional Council head Meit Fohlin, who had previously opposed the country joining the alliance.
Historically, the island has already been contested. In April 1808, Russian troops under Admiral Nikolai Bodisko briefly occupied Gotland, and during the Cold War it was heavily militarized. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, much of that military presence was reduced, but Swedish forces are now returning.
Sweden is also expanding its role in the broader defense of the Baltics. It sent more than 500 troops to Latvia as part of a multinational NATO brigade, and on January 16, 2026, Stockholm and Riga signed a roadmap for military cooperation. The document covers land, air, drone, and industrial cooperation.
Colonel Dan Rasmussen, commander of the P18 Gotland Regiment, said NATO does not view as acceptable any scenario in which the Baltic states are left unprotected. In his assessment, if the island were blockaded, residents could endure for about three months without outside assistance thanks to local solidarity and their own resources.