Joining NATO Made Sweden Safer, But of Greater Interest to Russia: Intelligence

Sweden’s security has been strengthened since it joined NATO, but its membership has also made the Nordic country a higher priority for Russian intelligence, the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said Tuesday.

“Foreign powers are carrying out vast activities that threaten Sweden’s security. We are seen as part of the collective West and are becoming a pawn in a global game, especially now that we are part of the NATO alliance,” Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at Sapo, told a press conference.

Over the past year, there have been a number of incidents, including cyber attacks, drone flights over sensitive areas and cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, said Sapo chief Charlotte von Essen.

“As a NATO ally, we are safer, but we must at the same time be prepared for it meaning a changed and increased interest from the intelligence services, especially from Russia,” von Essen told reporters.

“There is now a risk of sabotage against Sweden,” she added.

According to the intelligence service, Russia, Iran and China are the main threats to the Scandinavian country’s security.

Hallstrom added that Swedish assets are also a source of interest for foreign powers.

“This concerns, for example, technology procurement, strategic acquisitions, but also possible targets for sabotage. We must be prepared to act both quickly and discerningly,” he said.

Sweden became NATO’s newest member in March 2024, ending two centuries of military non-alignment to join the trans-Atlantic security alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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