Sweden says it disrupted Russian SVR operation

Sweden's Security Service said Monday it had disrupted a Russian intelligence operation that it said was aimed at influencing Swedish decision-making and discrediting Sweden, NATO and the European Union.

The counter-espionage agency, known as Sapo, said the operation had been planned and directed by Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service for some time. It said the case involved an “agent” working at a foreign diplomatic mission in Sweden, but did not identify the mission.

Christoffer Wedelin, Sapo's deputy head of operations, told AFP that Russian intelligence agents operating under diplomatic immunity had recruited the agent at another country's diplomatic mission. He said the Russian officers tasked the agent with obtaining information in different ways.

Wedelin said the objectives were to create division within Sweden and among EU and NATO allies. He declined to give more detail on what information had been gathered or how long the operation had been going on.

“Our assessment is that we have disrupted and prevented the activity,” Wedelin said, adding that both the Russian intelligence agents and the other agent were no longer in Sweden.

Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government took the reports seriously. He said Russia and other state actors were acting offensively to further their interests in Sweden.

Sweden joined NATO in 2024, ending two centuries of military non-alignment after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sapo has repeatedly named Russia, China and Iran as the main intelligence threats to Sweden.