Sweden’s SAPO home safety company warned on Tuesday that it expects Russia to extend actions threatening Swedish safety in fields together with telecoms and the ability community. SAPO head Charlotte von Essen mentioned Russia’s actions had been “unpredictable”, however harassed that “we will count on that Russian security-threatening actions towards Sweden will enhance”.
The sectors “the place there’s purpose to be notably vigilant to counter espionage and sabotage” are telecommunications, electrical energy provide and the transport of “vital materials,” von Essen mentioned. She did not elaborate on what she meant by the latter.
“From the Russian aspect, there’s an curiosity in disturbing these areas,” von Essen added. “These are sectors the place assaults towards Sweden may trigger harm to the remainder of Europe as nicely.”
She spoke on the finish of the three-day Folks and Defence convention in Salen, a ski resort in central Sweden. The annual occasion was attended by NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Swedish international coverage and safety consultants.
Von Essen mentioned SAPO expects Russia to make use, “to a higher extent than earlier than, of non-official platforms such because the Russian diaspora, establishments and corporations in Sweden”.
She additionally warned that SAPO is seeing an elevated unfold “of conspiracy theories and anti-state messages, which in the long term dangers undermining belief in society’s establishments, politicians’ decision-making and the state’s legitimacy”.
“Each the specter of assassination and the menace to our structure can come up in broad extremism. It is a growth that performs into the arms of international energy,” von Essen mentioned.
She declined to say whether or not Russian exercise had elevated since Sweden – and neighboring Finland – utilized to hitch NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Each Nordic nations have an extended prior historical past of army non-alignment.
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