Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Sweden and Finland have become “legitimate military targets” following their accession to NATO, and warned that potential responses could include nuclear measures.
In comments published Tuesday by the state-run news agency Tass and circulated by European outlets, Medvedev said the two Nordic countries previously enjoyed “certain international privileges” due to their geopolitical neutrality but have forfeited them by joining what he called a “hostile alliance.”
“They are now automatically targets of our armed forces,” Medvedev said. “This includes the possibility of retaliatory strikes and even a nuclear component, in line with the preventive measures laid out in our military doctrine.”
The statement comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO, particularly after the alliance’s recent enlargement and the adjustment of Western strategic priorities in northern Europe.
“Sweden and Finland have put themselves in the crosshairs,” Medvedev added. “Has their security improved? No. These are purely political maneuvers.”
His remarks follow similar warnings from Russian officials. Last week, Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said that “provocative states such as Poland and the Baltic countries must understand they would be the first to suffer” in the event of NATO aggression against the Russia-Belarus Union State.
Recent satellite imagery published by The Wall Street Journal shows signs of a Russian military buildup near the borders with Finland and Norway, specifically in the Leningrad and Murmansk regions. Analysts cited the addition of new military equipment depots and barracks.
Further activity was reported near Petrozavodsk, in the Republic of Karelia, where construction of new rail lines and other logistical infrastructure could suggest early-stage preparations for limited military operations, according to independent defense experts.
