Tiny island the size of Cornwall is ‘Putin’s next target and could cau | World | News
A beautiful island known for its medieval feel and stunning beaches could suddenly become Putin’s target if World War 3 breaks out.
Fears of a potential global battle are growing, with the likelihood becoming more and more real, and should war between NATO and Russia happen, then Putin will certainly look towards the Baltic Sea as a target.
Though located right in the centre of the waterway, Sweden’s popular and biggest island, Gotland, is a popular tourist destination that welcomes over a million visitors a year.
While Gotland offer stunning coastal views and is famed for its preserved medieval town of Visby, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which boasts unique Viking history, picturesque landscapes, and lush nature, the island is now being fortified.
New missile systems, barracks, and surveillance centres are rising on the land, which is around the size of Cornwall, as the fears of a Russian attack increase daily, reports The Sun.
According to experts, the military build-up has two main aims for Stockholm: to deter Putin from invading and using the land to attack Europe, and to monitor the Russian despot’s sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea.
Gotland is just 300km from Kaliningrad, a port city that serves as Russia’s enclave. Though Gotland wields great influence over the Baltic Sea region, in which both are located.
Niklas Granholm, a leading expert at Sweden‘s Defence Research Agency, told The Sun: “If we look all the way back to the Cold War, Gotland was an essential part in controlling the Baltic Sea region.
“If you can control Gotland and place surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, and anti-ship missiles, you will have control over the entire northern Baltic Sea region, due to the range and precision of these systems.”
Ben Hodges, a former US Army Officer, warned that Russia taking over the island “would significantly change the balance of power”.
Gotland was demilitarised in 2005, following the end of the Cold War. However, it was re-armed in 2015 as a response to Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea in Ukraine in 2014. Sweden then joined NATO in 2024, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Now, the Swedish Armed Forces plan to station at least 4,000 soldiers in Gotland by 2027.
