OREANDA-NEWS. Sweden has begun the largest modernization of armed forces in more than half a century in response to a significant increase in Russian military activity in the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic region and Arctic Circle. The head of the Ministry of Defense of Sweden, Peter Hultqvist, reported of this in the article published in the newspaper Times.

The politician claims that Russia is conducting complex exercises, at a higher than before level of capabilities. There is a large naval base in the city of Murmansk, and Sweden also observes military exercises in the North Atlantic, Hultqvist said. According to him, the goal of this activity is to break the alliance between the United States and Europe and destroy the transatlantic ties.

In October, the Swedish government coalition parties, Social Democratic Party and Grenn Party, reached an agreement with the Center Party and Liberal Party on a significant increase in defense spending.