Swedish military seeks to seize Russian-owned land near naval base
Sweden's armed forces have asked the government to expropriate a plot of land near Muskö naval base that belongs to a Russian businessman with Kremlin ties. The military says the site is needed to strengthen the base's defenses against drones.
Sweden's armed forces have formally requested that the government take over ownership of a property located near one of the access points to the Muskö naval base, currently owned by a Russian citizen. According to a military statement, the site offers unique conditions for reinforcing the base's defenses, particularly against drone threats.
The armed forces explained that the evolution of Russian drone warfare has changed the nature of the threat facing Sweden, requiring measures to protect the country against both aerial and maritime drone risks. The military stressed that this property is the only remaining site not under its control needed to build an effective defense system for the base.
The Swedish Fortifications Agency, which manages defense-related properties, submitted the request to the government on behalf of the armed forces.
Kremlin connection
The newspaper Expressen reports that the property belongs to Russian businessman Stanislav Aleshchenko, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the property is formally registered under his wife's name. Swedish media had previously reported that the businessman was building a large vacation home on the site, and that the government had been looking for ways to halt the construction.
Chief of the Defence Staff Michael Claesson's counterpart, Carl-Johan Edström, stated that Sweden is facing the most serious security situation since the end of World War II, and that threats to both Sweden and the NATO alliance are real.
In 2022, following Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine, Sweden abandoned a neutrality policy it had maintained for more than two centuries, and it joined NATO two years later.
