WARSAW, Poland (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 defense alliance.

Sweden’s armed forces said the mission of 550 troops will contribute to the alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts, and ensure stability in the region, and that it “marks Sweden’s largest commitment yet since joining NATO.

A ship carrying parts of a Swedish mechanized infantry battalion has arrived in Riga, the Latvian capital as tensions remain high in Central Europe.