Sweden thwarts Russian espionage operation targeting EU and country

Sweden's security service, Säpo, revealed on Monday that it has successfully dismantled a Russian espionage operation targeting the country. The operation's objective was to influence Sweden's decision-making processes and to damage the reputations of both Sweden and the European Union.

According to Säpo, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) was behind the operation. The SVR allegedly recruited an employee working at an unspecified country's embassy in Stockholm to carry out its objectives. The Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that two SVR intelligence officers recruited the embassy employee, providing them with bribes.

Säpo indicated to SVT that they have a clear understanding of the information the recruited employee shared and the tasks they were assigned. However, both the SVR officers and the recruited embassy employee have since departed from Sweden. Säpo explained to SVT that no preliminary investigation has been launched against the officers because they acted under diplomatic immunity, which prevents prosecution.