Swedish officials say ‘at least one’ foreign vessel was in its waters
Swedish officials said yesterday that it appeared that at least one foreign vessel probably had operated in waters near its capital in recent days, calling such activity "unacceptable".
Swedish officials said yesterday that it appeared that at least one foreign vessel probably had operated in waters near its capital in recent days, calling such activity "unacceptable".
"Our assessment is that there was at least one [vessel]," Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad said in Stockholm, hours after the week-long operation for what media speculated was a Russian submarine was called off.
"It's the assessment of the defence forces that probably foreign underwater activity has taken place in Stockholm's inner archipelago," he said, calling any foreign activity within Swedish territory "unacceptable". "It may have been a small vessel."
Russia has denied it was the source of the activity, blaming a Dutch submarine, a claim rejected by the Netherlands. "I don't want to comment on what Russia says. I have not pointed fingers at any nation," Grenstad said.
He said it could be ruled out that a large conventional submarine had been active in the archipelago, but did not elaborate on where it was from.
