Sunday, October 19, 2014

Sweden steps up search for 'crippled Russian submarine' making Mayday distress call off its coast

  • Swedish ships, helicopters and troops are scouring waters off Stockholm
  • Follows reports a Russian submarine ran into difficulties on secret mission
  • Sources say a distress signal in Russian was intercepted 
  • Soviet submarine sightings caused security alerts in Sweden in the 1980s
  • The Russian defence ministry denied the reports today 
| Sweden has beefed up its military presence amid reports of 'a crippled Russian submarine' off its coast.
In a throw back to the Cold War, Swedish ships, helicopters and troops are scouring the waters off Stockholm following reports that a Russian submarine might have had mechanical problems while on a secret mission in the archipelago.
The operation began after Sweden's ministry said it was given a reliable tip-off about 'foreign underwater activity' off the country's coast in the Baltic Sea. 
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Swedish ships, helicopters and troops are scouring the waters off Stockholm for what was officially described as 'foreign underwater activity'
Swedish ships, helicopters and troops are scouring the waters off Stockholm for what was officially described as 'foreign underwater activity'
The Svenska Dagbladet newspaper said Sweden had begun a search after a distress signal in Russian was detected on an emergency frequency
The Svenska Dagbladet newspaper said Sweden had begun a search after a distress signal in Russian was detected on an emergency frequency
The Svenska Dagbladet newspaper said Sweden had begun a search after a distress signal in Russian was detected on an emergency frequency on Thursday evening.
Encrypted radio traffic from a point in the Stockholm archipelago and Kaliningrad was picked up later as well.  
Another signal was intercepted on Friday night and Swedish intelligence was able to pinpoint the locations of the participants. One was in the waters off Stockholm, while the other could be traced to Kaliningrad, the port that is the home of Russia's Baltic Sea fleet.
Defence analysts cited in other reports speculated that a submarine might have been replacing old spy equipment or monitoring a Swedish naval exercise. 
Captain Jonas Wikström said: 'We consider the information we received as very trustworthy. I, as head of operations, have therefore decided to increase the number of units in the area.' 
Russia's military intervention in Ukraine this year has fuelled suspicion about its intentions towards other neighbouring states, notably in the Baltic.
It has several submarines based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania and facing out to Sweden, as well as a much bigger force near Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula.
Last month, another Swedish newspaper, Expressen, reported an incursion by two Russian SU-24 fighter bombers into national airspace. Sweden scrambled jets to see them off, it said.
Swedish navy fast-attack vessels are engaged in a military operation in the Stockholm Archipelago 
Swedish navy fast-attack vessels are engaged in a military operation in the Stockholm Archipelago 
Swedish corvette HMS Visby patrols the Stockholm Archipelago searching for what the military says is a foreign threat in the waters 
Swedish corvette HMS Visby patrols the Stockholm Archipelago searching for what the military says is a foreign threat in the waters 
Swedish minesweeper HMS Koster searching for what the military says is a foreign threat in its waters
Swedish minesweeper HMS Koster searching for what the military says is a foreign threat in its waters
The submarine hunt is an early political test for Stefan Löfven, the new prime minister, whose centre-left minority government took office this month
The submarine hunt is an early political test for Stefan Löfven, the new prime minister, whose centre-left minority government took office this month
In September two Russian Su-24 attack jets reportedly violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic, prompting Sweden's air force to scramble its own fighters. 
Soviet submarine sightings caused security alerts in Sweden, which is not a member of Nato, in the 1980s. 
The most famous incident took place in 1981 when a Soviet submarine hit rocks near Karlskrona, the main Swedish naval base, in the south of the country. 
The Russian captain claimed that the submarine had strayed off course and got lost.
The submarine hunt is an early political test for Stefan Löfven, the new prime minister, whose centre-left minority government took office this month. 
But Russia defence ministry denied reports that one of its submarines got into trouble off Sweden.
A spokesman said: 'Russia's submarines, like the surface ships, have been following their tasks in the world's oceans according to the plan.
'There have not been any emergencies or accidents with the Russian military vessels.  

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