Sweden still cannot block Russian property purchases

Russian-owned houses and premises in Sweden could be used as bases for sabotage or espionage, politicians and experts have told SVT. Yet after nine years and two government investigations, Sweden still has no law allowing the state to stop property purchases on national security grounds.

The Swedish Security Service has listed Russian-owned properties as a possible security risk. A survey by the Swedish Defence Research Agency found 247 properties with Russian owners across the country, although the true number is unknown.

Researchers had to manually review about 10,000 names of owners living abroad. Properties owned by foreign nationals who live in Sweden do not appear in the registers used for the survey.

One specific case is on Muskö, where the Swedish Armed Forces are trying to take over a holiday home because it is close to a naval base. Defence Minister Pål Jonson said intelligence gathering in Sweden has increased.

Peter Hultqvist, the Social Democrats’ defence policy spokesperson, said the issue was not limited to properties near military facilities.

“Russia is waging hybrid warfare against Sweden and other countries,” Hultqvist said. “It may involve properties that can be used for sabotage in Sweden, espionage or otherwise undermining Swedish society.”

Finland has introduced stricter rules. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen estimated two years ago that about 3,500 properties in Finland had Russian owners. A law that prevents Russian citizens from buying property there came into force in July 2025.

Sweden has no equivalent general power to block property purchases for security reasons. The first investigation into the issue was launched in 2017, when Hultqvist was defence minister. The reports, SOU 2019:34 and SOU 2024:84, have not yet led to a bill.

Jonson said the investigations had not covered enough situations. He said the government had discussed the issue with political parties in the Riksdag, which agreed that robust legislation was important.

“Unfortunately, that takes some time,” Jonson said.