The Swedish Navy is hunting for a mystery submarine that was recently spotted in the waters near Stockholm.
CNN reports that Sweden began its search after intercepting Russian radio transmissions. The Swedish military also said that it was investigating three credible sightings of “foreign underwater activity” and even provided a blurry photo of what appears to be a submarine breaching the water near the coast of Sweden.
According to the BBC, the military believes that it may have spotted a Russian submarine but Russia’s defense ministry denied that they had a sub patrolling the waters near Sweden.
Russian Defense Ministry source told the TASS news agency on Monday: “On Sunday, October 19, the Russian Defense Ministry provided assistance wherever possible to the Swedes in their unsuccessful search, saying that there were no incidents with Russian warships (in the Baltic Sea), including submarines … For easing tension in the Baltic Sea and saving Swedish taxpayers’ money, we would advise (the Swedish side) to request explanations from the Dutch Navy command.”
The Dutch Navy also denied that it had a submarine near Sweden.
The “who” to this story is not yet known. But what about the why? According to Johan Wiktorin of the Swedish Royal Academy of War Sciences, whoever is snooping around the Stockholm Archipelago may be mapping the area in case of conflict.
Wiktorin said: “They could be mapping the waters in order to be able to navigate them in the event of hostilities. They could also be installing equipment, like sensors, that could track or get an observation of our units in that area. Or they could also possibly reconnoiter our (defense) systems.”
photo credit: Defence Images via photopin cc
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