STOCKHOLM, March 18. /TASS/. Russia’s military attache has been invited to the ‘Northern Wind 2019’ drills that have kicked off in the northeastern part of Sweden, the Swedish Army’s press office told TASS on Monday.
The military drills started near the towns of Kiruna and Boden in the region of Norrbotten.
"These drills are not so large for us to invite foreign observers in compliance with the Vienna Convention," the press office noted.
"Nevertheless, we have invited foreign military attaches, including from Russia, to attend the Northern Wind," the press office added.
Bilateral relations and military cooperation between Russia and Sweden were frozen in 2014. Russian representatives have been able to take part again in the programs of the Swedish Defense Ministry for foreign military diplomats, from which they were excluded after Crimea’s reintegration with Russia, only from February 2017. Swedish military attaches in Moscow have also earlier got a possibility to take part in similar Russian programs.
In 2017, the Swedish General Staff established a direct telephone line with the Russian top brass in order to prevent incidents in the Baltic region during the military exercises Aurora and Zapad (West).
‘Northern Wind-2019’
The basic aim of the maneuvers is to boost combat readiness in winter conditions and the ability to "accomplish combat missions at the brigade level with subordinate foreign units," the press office explained.
The drills will run through March 27. The maneuvers involve 10,000 troops, including about 7,000 from the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Finland.
About 1,500 Finns and Swedes will form a 4,600-strong brigade to face off the Norwegian ‘Brigade North’ of the same strength manned by service members from the United Kingdom and the United States as their notional enemy.
The ‘Northern Wind’ drills involve 450 US marines, and also Swedish motorized infantry and artillery units. The Air Force drills will also be held on March 22-27.
Two Medevac helicopters will take part in such army and Air Force drills for the first time. Both choppers are equipped with the skis to land on the snow. They also feature sets of equipment and medicines similar to medical kits used by ambulances. Apart from four crewmembers, a doctor and a nurse will also be present aboard each helicopter to provide medical assistance to ill or wounded persons already at the stage of their transportation.