Sweden has announced plans to establish a new foreign intelligence agency as part of a broader security overhaul driven by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the new service, to be named Sweden’s foreign intelligence service (UND), is expected to begin operations in January 2027 and will focus on overseas threats and strategic intelligence gathering.
She said the war in Ukraine has highlighted how crucial rapid information, technological adaptability and intelligence superiority are, comparing the planned agency to the UK’s MI6. The move reflects Sweden’s reassessment of its defence posture after abandoning two centuries of military non-alignment and joining NATO in 2024 following Russia’s invasion.
Sweden already operates the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST), which handles external military threats, alongside the domestic-focused Swedish Security Service (SAPO) and the signals intelligence agency FRA. The new body will take over some responsibilities from MUST and work closely with these agencies and the armed forces.
Stenergard said Sweden’s NATO membership brings “new expectations” in terms of intelligence cooperation and collective security responsibilities.
The reform is part of a wider effort to strengthen Sweden’s defence and intelligence capabilities in response to a more volatile European security environment, ensuring better coordination between military and civilian intelligence structures while improving the country’s ability to respond to emerging global threats.
via Euronews
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