Sweden's membership of NATO has focused minds among policymakers in the country on how to protect its energy infrastructure from the threat posed by Russia, it has been reported.
Stockholm last month became the alliance's 32nd member, following Finland in April 2023. The Nordic neighbors' accessions were spurred by the security threat posed by Moscow, highlighted by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The proximity of Sweden to Russia is making the alliance's newest member think hard about whether its infrastructure can handle any attack by Moscow, according to Bloomberg.
Russia has carried out large-scale shelling aimed at destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as well as launching drone and missile strikes targeting power distribution substations and transformers, plunging people into darkness.
Analysis last year by the Center for European Reform think tank noted concerns among European policymakers about Moscow's use of hybrid attacks and the threats they pose to critical infrastructure. These fears have increased following reports of Russian surveillance of energy infrastructure in Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, the think tank said.
Sweden's 9,942 miles of power lines connecting production in the north with its southern cities via forests leaves the grid more open to sabotage than in other parts of Europe, Bloomberg reported.
The outlet said that Sweden's grid operator wants the mothballed Oresundsverket facility in the city of Malmo to get back online to maintain power supply should its energy infrastructure, often the main target in war, be attacked.
The plant's manager Mikael Nilsson told Bloomberg that it is hoped the capabilities will not be required "but to have the assurance that we're there and ready when needed is really comforting."
Grid operator Svenska Kraftnat has plans in place for the capital, Stockholm, as well as the country's second-biggest city, Göteborg, and key regions.
There will be stronger fences and enhanced monitoring around energy facilities, which by the end of 2028 will also be protected by around 1,000 Swedes undertaking compulsory civic duty.
In the last three years, Sweden has tripled its funding for civil defense to 5.5 billion kronor ($510 million), although the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency estimates this is only just over half the 10 billion kronor the country needs annually to protect itself.
"If we don't get the support we need from civil defense we won't be able to do what is required," military commander-in-chief Micael Byden told Bloomberg.
Southern Sweden has one of the largest gaps between energy consumption and production capacity in Europe, highlighting its vulnerability in case of an attack. Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told the outlet, "no one knows how much time we have."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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