Sweden has reintroduced border controls due to security risks, Stockholm said, mainly over concerns about hybrid threats from hostile actors linked to Russia.
The Swedish Ministry of Justice said in a Nov. 5 statement that it will extend border checks for a further six months, from Nov. 12 to May 11, 2027.
These checks extend others Sweden previously introduced.
Sweden is part of Europe’s Schengen area, which allows travel between countries without checks at internal borders. Schengen countries can temporarily reintroduce internal border controls—in other words, their own national borders—in the event of a “serious threat to public policy or internal security,” according to the European Union.
The Swedish Ministry of Justice said the decision is based in part on an assessment that internal security faced a serious threat.
“The government’s assessment is based primarily on the serious security situation that exists as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in hybrid threats and hostile actors who have moved and operated within the Schengen area,” the statement said.
Currently, eight of the 29 Schengen members have border controls in place or plan to renew them, with several citing concerns over sabotage or hybrid threats, some explicitly pointing to Russia’s war with Ukraine, according to a list on the European Commission’s website.
The introduction of internal Schengen area controls is often a result of attempts to curb illegal immigration or organized crime, but countries are increasingly reintroducing their borders over the suspected risks of hybrid attacks from Russia.
“Russia’s full-scale invasion and ongoing aggression against Ukraine means we are in a serious security situation. This concerns, among other things, an increased sabotage threat against Sweden and other EU member states,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told Reuters.
The Kremlin denies any links to hybrid attacks in Europe and has called the accusations unfounded.
The Epoch Times contacted the Russian Embassy in Stockholm and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but did not receive a response by publication.
Hybrid Warfare Concerns
Hybrid warfare occurs in the gray zone, below the threshold of conventional war, and can include cyberattacks, attacks on critical infrastructure, and espionage.
Sabotage and hybrid warfare have gained renewed attention after Germany said that Russia orchestrated the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, and Estonia said that Russia was behind an attack on a defense company supplying Ukraine.
Moscow has consistently denied it is engaged in any kind of hybrid warfare activity, and rejected claims of involvement in the Leipzig airport and Estonian defense company incidents.
The threat of hybrid attacks has prompted some countries to boost their internal security.
Last month, Lithuania said it would increase security around critical infrastructure following an attempted arson attack at a Starlink facility in Vilnius.
Ukraine uses Starlink terminals for battlefield communications, including to conduct strikes on Russian targets within Ukraine. It also uses Starlink receivers in its interceptor drones as part of their guidance systems to defend against Russian drone attacks.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the location of a Starlink facility. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
