The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) said on Monday that it had thwarted a Russian intelligence operation aimed at discrediting Sweden and which involved an "agent" working at a foreign diplomatic mission in Sweden.
The counter-espionage agency said in a statement that it had "collected information and taken measures against a Russian intelligence operation aimed at influencing Swedish decision-making and discrediting Sweden, NATO and the EU."
According to Säpo, "the intelligence operation has been planned and directed by the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR for some time."
It did not identify the diplomatic mission where the suspected agent involved worked.
"One of the goals of the operation was to gather information on Swedish decision-making in order to enable Russian intelligence services to conduct influence operations regarding polarizing issues, with the aim of undermining Swedish decision-making and discrediting Sweden, NATO and the EU," Säpo said.
Christoffer Wedelin, Säpo's deputy director of operations, said that, upon learning of the operation, "the Swedish Security Service took action to protect vital Swedish assets and counter the continued influence."
In 2024, Sweden ended two centuries of military non-commitment and joined NATO, spurred into the alliance by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Säpo has repeatedly cited Russia, along with China and Iran, as the main intelligence threats to the country.
