Sweden summons Russian envoy over alleged airspace violation

Sweden's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it had summoned Russia's ambassador for talks after a Russian SU-24 bomber allegedly violated its airspace near the strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland.

The ministry said it called the meeting to "express its stance against Russia's violation of Swedish airspace that took place on Friday, June 14", around three months after the Scandinavian country joined NATO.

Sweden said on Saturday the Russian aircraft violated its airspace east of Gotland's southern tip.

The Swedish air combat command warned the Russian aircraft with a verbal call, the Swedish armed forces said.

"When this was not heeded and the aircraft did not deviate from its route, it was dismissed from Swedish airspace by two JAS-39 Gripens," it said.

Russia has yet to respond to the Swedish allegations.

Gotland is located fewer than 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Swedish military doctrine holds that whoever controls Gotland is able to broadly control air and naval movements in the Baltic Sea.

Sweden reopened its garrison on Gotland in 2018 after years of slashed military spending saw it close in 2004.

Finland, which joined NATO last year, said on June 10 that it suspected a Russian military aircraft of violating its airspace in the Gulf of Finland.