Swedish Security Service Thwarts Russian Operation Aimed at Discrediting Sweden, NATO and the EU

Sweden’s counter-espionage agency, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo), announced that it had disrupted a Russian intelligence operation directed by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The operation, according to Säpo, involved an “agent” embedded in a foreign diplomatic mission in Sweden and was designed to gather information on Swedish decision-making and to conduct influence activities on polarising issues with the objective of undermining Sweden, NATO and the European Union.

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Sweden abandoned a two-century policy of military non-alignment and joined NATO in 2024, a move prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Säpo has repeatedly identified Russia—alongside China and Iran—as a principal intelligence threat to Swedish national security.

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The service’s statement emphasized that the SVR-directed campaign had been planned for some time and that Swedish authorities had already gathered information on, and taken measures against, the operation. No diplomatic mission was identified publicly.

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• “One of the aims of the operation was to gather information on Swedish decision-making in order to enable the Russian intelligence services to conduct influence operations concerning polarising issues, with the goal to undermine Swedish decision-making and discredit Sweden, NATO and the EU,” — Ukraine. Säpo

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The disclosed details underscore ongoing Russian efforts to influence European security institutions and highlight Sweden’s heightened vigilance following its NATO accession.

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