Säpo has been able to monitor and map the Russian intelligence operation for a long time, according to Christoffer Wedelin, deputy chief of operations at Säpo.
Among other things, meetings between the agent and two intelligence officers from the Russian intelligence service SVR have been documented. During these meetings, the agent, who is suspected of spying for Russia, passed on information to his handlers.
Surveillance images from Säpo show the men being seen in various places in the Stockholm area, walking outdoors and meeting at a restaurant.
We see the intelligence officer, we see the agent and we can also see gifts handed over to the agent, says Christoffer Wedelin.
Has left the country
The suspected agent is a man at a foreign mission in Stockholm. When and how he was recruited is not something that Säpo is going into. Nor is what country he belongs to.
Christoffer Wedelin emphasizes that Säpo was able to follow the operation "in detail".
We know what assignments have been given and what questions the agent has then asked. These are also activities that we have then been able to intervene and interrupt.
Did it cause any damage?
We have implemented a number of measures to limit that damage. Our assessment is that we have prevented the Russian intelligence operation. They have not succeeded in their mission.
According to Säpo, both the agent and the two Russian officers have left Sweden. Since all three have diplomatic immunity, they cannot be arrested or prosecuted for a crime.
Exactly how it happened when Säpo interrupted or stopped the operation is not discussed.
Among other things, we have interrupted further contacts with others and made it more difficult for them to obtain information in the next stage.
Did they realize they were exposed?
I can't even go into how they reacted or acted.
Swedish decision-making
According to Säpo, the agent was tasked with gathering information concerning “central Swedish decision-making” and Sweden’s relations with other countries. The operation was, among other things, about enabling Russian intelligence to “exercise influence on polarizing issues.” The goal was to undermine Swedish decision-making and discredit Sweden and the EU.
Säpo usually acts covertly to disrupt the activities of foreign powers. The fact that they are talking so openly about this case is partly about wanting to increase the awareness of Swedes.
We don't always have the opportunity to go out and be so concrete, but we do it because it is a concrete example of what the threat from Russia looks like today, says Christoffer Wedelin.
The SVR is a civilian foreign intelligence service, whose main mission is political and economic espionage and influence operations abroad.
The SVR is responsible for classic foreign espionage – collecting secret information from foreign states, organizations, and companies to advance Russia's foreign policy interests.
Other Russian intelligence services are the FSB, the Federal Security Service, which deals with counterintelligence and counterterrorism, among other things, and the military intelligence department, the GRU, which deals with things like military espionage, cyberattacks, and sabotage abroad.
Säpo has previously stated that every third Russian diplomat in Sweden works undercover and actually works for one of the intelligence services.
According to Säpo, the current case shows that Russia continues to prioritize traditional intelligence work by recruiting human sources.
