Hundreds of Swedish forces arrive in Latvia in largest deployment with Nato

Swedish soldiers disembark in the port of Riga, Latvia, on Saturday (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along Nato’s eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defence alliance.

A ship carrying parts of a mechanised infantry battalion arrived early on Saturday in the port of Riga, the Latvian capital, escorted by the Swedish air force and units from the Swedish and Latvian navies, the Swedish armed forces said in a statement.