Sweden in 3rd day of suspected submarine search.

                                              

HELSINKI (AP) — The Swedish military's search for evidence of suspected undersea activity in its waters entered its third day on Sunday amid reports of a suspected Russian intrusion.

The operation was reminiscent of the Cold War, when Sweden's armed forces routinely hunted for Soviet submarines in its waters.

The armed forces said it had launched an intelligence operation involving a few hundred people in the Stockholm archipelago after receiving information "from a credible source."

Officials declined to give more information except to say they were investigating possible "foreign underwater activity" in the archipelago and other nearby coastal waters.

The Svenska Dagbladet daily reported that the Swedes had picked up an emergency message suggesting a Russian mini-submarine had run into trouble in Swedish waters and could be damaged.

But Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian submarines and ships have been "fulfilling their tasks in the world's oceans," according to plan, Russian news agencies reported.

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Two Swedish Navy fast-attack craft patrol in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden, Sunday Oct. 19 2014. …

"There have been no emergencies or accidents with Russian military vessels," an unnamed spokesman at the ministry was quoted as saying.
Anders Nordin from the Swedish Maritime Administration said a Russian-owned oil tanker, Concord, which had reportedly been circling near Swedish waters for days, started sailing in a northeasterly direction toward Russia on Sunday morning. But it suddenly turned around and headed back in the direction of Sweden, according to Marine Traffic, a website which monitors vessels in the Baltic Sea.

Media reports said the movements of the Liberian-flagged tanker might be connected to the submarine search.

In 1981, a Soviet sub carrying nuclear weapons got stranded off Sweden's southeastern coast, causing an 11-day diplomatic standoff before Swedish authorities allowed the submarine to return home.

Swedish officials wouldn't speculate on what foreign power could be behind the suspected intrusion Friday. Last month, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest a violation of Swedish airspace by two Russian military aircraft.

HELSINKI (AP) — The Swedish military's search for evidence of suspected undersea activity in its waters entered its third day on Sunday amid reports of a suspected Russian intrusion.

The operation was reminiscent of the Cold War, when Sweden's armed forces routinely hunted for Soviet submarines in its waters.

The armed forces said it had launched an intelligence operation involving a few hundred people in the Stockholm archipelago after receiving information "from a credible source."

Officials declined to give more information except to say they were investigating possible "foreign underwater activity" in the archipelago and other nearby coastal waters.

The Svenska Dagbladet daily reported that the Swedes had picked up an emergency message suggesting a Russian mini-submarine had run into trouble in Swedish waters and could be damaged.

But Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian submarines and ships have been "fulfilling their tasks in the world's oceans," according to plan, Russian news agencies reported.

View gallery

Two Swedish Navy fast-attack craft patrol in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden, Sunday Oct. 19 2014. …

"There have been no emergencies or accidents with Russian military vessels," an unnamed spokesman at the ministry was quoted as saying.
Anders Nordin from the Swedish Maritime Administration said a Russian-owned oil tanker, Concord, which had reportedly been circling near Swedish waters for days, started sailing in a northeasterly direction toward Russia on Sunday morning. But it suddenly turned around and headed back in the direction of Sweden, according to Marine Traffic, a website which monitors vessels in the Baltic Sea.

Media reports said the movements of the Liberian-flagged tanker might be connected to the submarine search.

In 1981, a Soviet sub carrying nuclear weapons got stranded off Sweden's southeastern coast, causing an 11-day diplomatic standoff before Swedish authorities allowed the submarine to return home.

Swedish officials wouldn't speculate on what foreign power could be behind the suspected intrusion Friday. Last month, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest a violation of Swedish airspace by two Russian military aircraft.