Russian Spy Operation Targeted Swedish Decision-Making Under Diplomatic Cover, SAPO Says

Sweden's security service has disrupted a Russian influence and espionage operation, directed by Moscow's SVR  and run by three people under diplomatic immunity, according to Reuters on August 10.

The operation sought to influence decision-making in Sweden and discredit the Nordic country, along with its EU and NATO allies, Reuters reported. The effort had been planned and directed by Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) noted in a statement.

A SAPO spokesperson told Reuters that investigators had monitored the network closely before shutting it down.

"We have been able to monitor what happened at these meetings between the individuals involved, what was said and what assignments were given," the spokesperson explained. "They are no longer in Sweden, and we have been able to break up this operation," he added.

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The case fits a pattern SAPO has repeatedly flagged. "This is consistent with the threat we see Russia posing," the spokesperson told Reuters. The agency declined to provide further details about the operation or the measures it had taken against those involved.

The Russian embassy in Stockholm did not immediately respond to a request for comment relayed by Reuters via phone and email.

The use of diplomatic cover to place intelligence officers across Europe has drawn intensifying scrutiny. A recent analysis found that at least 21 of 117 Russian diplomatic personnel in Austria were linked to Moscow's intelligence and security services. At the Russian embassy in Vienna alone, roughly one in six listed diplomats showed potential ties to the special services.

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