Swedish Police Board Russia-Linked Cargo Ship Off Gotland In Overnight Baltic Sea Operation

Swedish special forces conducted an operation on a dry cargo ship linked to Russia near the northwestern coast of Gotland.

TV4 report says that the police force boarded the ship the night of Oct. 30–31. Carina Skagerlind, a spokesperson for the Stockholm Police, confirmed that officers boarded the vessel and checked the crew’s documents. Skagerlind did not identify the sailors’ nationalities and did not disclose any additional information about the operation.

TV4 reported the crew were Russian nationals, though police did not affirm their citizenship. After the inspection, the ship continued south along Gotland’s coast. Reports do not mention arrests or charges, as of November 2.

TV4 did not identify the dry cargo vessel, but it is known to measure more than 80 meters in length. The vessel’s operator has a presence in Kaliningrad, Russia’s Baltic exclave, where it recruits crew members. The vessel belongs to a company that Swedish authorities have suspected in the past of links to Russian intelligence and hybrid operations.

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