[JumpCrisscross]

> Sweden had spent the previous century invading and destroying Central and Eastern Europe

Alongside Russia [1]. Also, all this happened in the 17th century. When Russia was still finishing its conquest of Siberia [2].

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Polish_War_(1654–1667)

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_conquest_of_Siberia#17...

[ceilingcorner]

The whole region was chaotic for centuries. Poland invaded Russia at one point as well. Everyone pretty much invaded everyone else.

Certainly no one was “justified” here, I just meant to point out that the article is written to be misleading. The region in question (St. Petersburg) does indeed seem to have been occupied by Russians for a considerable period of time prior to Sweden occupying it.