Espionage Files: Russian Spies Put Full-Court Press on Sweden

The Swedish state security police, or SAPO, is getting pretty worried about a dramatic uptick in Russian espionage activity in Sweden, according to leaks in the Swedish press. And SAPO is hinting that it’s related to the fact that Sweden is gearing up for a May 25 parliamentary debate about ratifying a “Host Nation Support Agreement” that would make it easier for NATO troops to use Swedish territory, ports, and bases in exercises or emergencies.

SAPO sources have told the Swedish press that “Russia has tried to influence the debate on Sweden’s security policy choices through public statements,” and that this overt activity has been matched by an increase in covert activity. Although SAPO is shying away from making lots of specific statements — charges of espionage are extremely politically sensitive — it has indicated that it’s tracked people affiliated with Russian intelligence services participating in conferences aimed at blocking further Swedish cooperation with NATO.

This is part of a longer-term increase in the aggressiveness of Russian posturing toward Sweden.On March 19, two days after SAPO released its unclassified annual report, which detailed Russian psychological and disinformation campaigns, Swedish media were hit with a massive cyberattack; the “distributed denial of service” attack blocked the sites of seven major Swedish newspapers.

This year’s SAPO report also asserts that members of Russia’s civilian overseas intelligence service (SVR) and military intelligence service (GRU) have been active in carrying out an aggressive reconnaissance of civilian and military infrastructure. Last year’s report identified 10 SVR and GRU officers among the 37 Russian diplomats in Sweden; this year’s report notes an increase in contacts with Swedish radical right-wing organizations.

Read the Remainder at Vice News