STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden boosted its military presence in Stockholm’s archipelago yesterday to scour its waters for “foreign underwater activity” in a mobilisation of ships, troops and helicopters unseen since the Cold War.
The search in the Baltic Sea less than 31 miles (50 km) from Stockholm began on Friday and brought back vivid memories of the final years of the Cold War when Sweden repeatedly hunted suspected Soviet submarines along its coast with depth charges.
The operation comes amid increasing tension with Russia among the Nordic and Baltic states over the Ukraine crisis. Finland last week accused the Russian navy of interfering with a Finnish environmental research vessel in international waters.
The Swedish military has said information about suspicious activity came from a trustworthy source, without providing details, and that more than 200 military personnel were involved in the search.
Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet, citing unidentified sources with knowledge of the search, said the military operation came after a radio transmission in Russian on an emergency frequency.
