Sweden introduces border checks due to threat of Russian sabotage
Sweden will conduct targeted border checks over the next six months to counter sabotage and other hybrid attacks that may be linked to Russia.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in an article by Reuters.
The Russian threat has led to tighter controls
The Swedish government explained that the additional checks are intended to help identify threats posed by hostile actors operating within the Schengen Area.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strømmer stated that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has affected the security situation in Europe.
"Russia's full-scale invasion and aggression against Ukraine mean that we are facing a serious security situation. This includes, among other things, an increased threat of sabotage against Sweden and other EU countries," Strømmer said.
Concerns about potential hybrid attacks have intensified following several incidents in Europe. In September, Germany accused Russia of attempting to attack an airport with a drone. Estonia also claimed that Russian intelligence services orchestrated an arson attack on a defense organization’s building. Russia denied both allegations.
The Schengen rules will not prevent inspections
Sweden is part of the Schengen Area, where people can generally move freely without regular border controls.
However, the country had already introduced temporary checks due to illegal migration and organized crime. Now the government is also linking the tightening of controls to threats originating from Russia.
The Ministry of Justice explained that the checks are necessary to counter threats and identify hostile individuals moving through the Schengen Area.
Back in May, the Swedish government decided to allow such surveillance in cases involving serious cross-border crimes related to government institutions, as well as terrorism. At that time, no specific countries were named.
France, Germany, Norway, and Denmark also conduct similar checks at the internal borders of the Schengen Area.
