Copenhagen: Sweden's left-leaning government introduced a military draft for both men and women on Thursday because of what its defense minister called a deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden.
Sweden abolished compulsory military service for men in 2010 because there were enough volunteers to meet its military needs.
In September, non-NATO-member Sweden stationed permanent troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland. Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist described the move as sending a signal after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and its "increasing pressure" on the neighboring Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
There have also been reports of airspace violations by Russia's military aircraft in the Baltics and a military buildup in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which sits across the Baltic Sea from Sweden.
But the armed forces lack 1,000 active troops as well as 7,000 reservists, according to Sweden's coalition government of Social Democrats and Greens.
Under the plan approved on Thursday, at least 4,000 18-year-olds could be called up each year. Enrolment should be made possible from July 1, and basic military training with compulsory service from January 1. Swedes will still be able to volunteer for military service.
Sweden expects eventually that 13,000 young people will be called upon and 4,000 will be enrolled. The Swedish government, which often has described itself as "feminist," said "modern conscription is gender neutral and will include both women and men. "
That made Norway the first NATO member to draft both men and women, joining a tiny group of countries around the world, including Israel.
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