Security Threat, Sweden Expels Five Russian Diplomats

Swedish flag illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Florian Prischl)

JAKARTA - The Swedish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it had expelled five Russian diplomats for carrying out activities inconsistent with their diplomatic status, saying the government takes the security threat posed by Russian intelligence gathering very seriously.

"Five people employed at the (Russian) embassy have been asked to leave (Sweden) as a result of activities inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations," said a Swedish Foreign Ministry statement.

The Russian Embassy in Sweden declined to comment on the developments.

Russia and Western nations have engaged in tit-for-tat expulsions since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year. Russia called the invasion a "special military operation".

Furthermore, Sweden's Foreign Ministry declined to detail the activities involved, but said the country's security services had reported Russia continued to be involved in intelligence gathering in Sweden.

"This is a security threat that the government takes very seriously," the ministry said in an emailed statement.

The Swedish Security Service declined to comment on the case, but said it had long warned that Russia was using diplomats to spy on Sweden.

Concern has been growing in many countries over Russian intelligence activities, with Swedish security police singled out Russia as a serious threat to the security of the Nordic country, which is seeking NATO membership.

Earlier this month, Norway expelled 15 Russian embassy officials it described as intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover.

Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats in April last year, while Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium also expelled officials a year ago over allegations of espionage.

Europe has heavily sanctioned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, while Sweden's plea to join the NATO military alliance has drawn Russia's displeasure.