Sweden says ‘at least one’ vessel operated in its waters as it calls off search

Sweden said on Friday it appeared that at least one foreign vessel had likely operated in waters near its capital in recent days, insisting this has been “unacceptable.” Sweden’s Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad told reporters in Stockholm: “Our assessment is that there was at least one (vessel),” hours after the week-long operation for what media speculated was a Russian submarine was called off. He added: “It’s the assessment of the defence forces that probably foreign underwater activity has taken place in Stockholm’s inner archipelago. It may have been a small vessel.”

I don’t want to comment on what Russia says. I have not pointed fingers at any nation.

Sweden’s Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad

Reports last week of a “man-made object” in waters near the Swedish capital set off a search operation involving battleships, minesweepers, helicopters and more than 200 troops scouring an area about 30 to 60 kilometres from Stockholm. Russia has denied it was the source of the suspicious underwater activity, blaming a Dutch submarine for triggering the hunt, a claim rejected by the Netherlands.

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