Zapad 2017 and Aurora 17

[De Savage]

It's going to be very busy weeks ahead in the Baltic Sea.

Zapad 2017 is a planned joint strategic military exercise of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and Belarus (the Union State) scheduled for 14—20 September 2017, to be held in Belarus as well as in Russia′s Kaliningrad Oblast and other north-western areas. Western analysts believed in July 2017 that the total number of Russian troops, security personnel and civilian officials to be involved in the broader war-games will range from 60,000 to 100,000, which would make them Russia′s largest since the Cold War.

Meanwhile across the Baltic Sea...

Aurora 17 is a planned military exercise that will take place in Sweden during a three-week period, from 11 through 29 September 2017. It is expected to be the largest military exercise in 20 years to take place on Swedish soil.

Around 19 000 total personnel from all branches of the Swedish Armed Forces will participate. One fourth of them will consist of Home Guardsmen. Civilian authorities, such as police and social services will also participate. Several NATO nations have planned to take part in the exercise. As of January 2017, the participating nations include France, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Germany. The designated exercise area will cover most of Sweden, but will be focused on the Mälaren Valley, Stockholm, Gotland and in Gothenburg.

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Maybe this is good time to advertise my upcoming Baltic Sea scenario. Hopefully released later this fall. Anyway, it's going to be interesting times in the Baltic.