Swedish defence firms face rising threat of cyberattacks and disinformation

Sweden’s defence industry is facing a heightened threat, mainly from disinformation and cyberattacks, the industry organisation Security and Defence Companies Association (SOFF) told SVT.

The warning comes after Denmark’s security police, PET, said Russia was preparing sabotage against the Danish defence industry. The agency uncovered plans linked to production connected to Ukraine.

Swedish defence companies also report a more serious threat environment, although SOFF said there have so far been no physical attacks. “It is a deterioration,” said Robert Limmergård, SOFF’s secretary general. He said companies were used to facing threats, but recent actions had involved greater risk-taking and led to increased vigilance.

In both Denmark and Sweden, the companies concerned often have links to Ukraine.

Saab, one of Sweden’s largest defence companies, also said the threat had worsened in recent years. “There has been an enormous change in how we handle the threat to our sites, our staff and so on since this war began,” Saab chief executive Micael Johansson said. He declined to provide details about the company’s work on possible threats, beyond saying that it was active.

Sweden’s Security Service, Säpo, said it did not consider the risk in Sweden to have increased following recent events in Germany. German authorities this week blamed Russia for an incident involving a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport.

“Our assessment of Russia’s threat to Sweden has not changed because of the incident in Germany, but remains in line with what we have previously pointed out. Russia’s actions are more risk-prone and aggressive,” Säpo said in a comment to SVT.

The agency said Russia’s attempts to influence Sweden’s willingness and ability to support Ukraine were well known to it, and that understanding the threat required attention to Russia’s long-term ambitions, ultimately reflected in its war against Ukraine.