Daniel Wolfram
Sweden has looked towards countries like Estonia to create a brand-new intelligence service to better combat Russian hostilities.
Russia’s aggression has not just affected Ukraine. Countries close to the regime are hurrying to create new defence measures.
One of those countries is Sweden. They have just created a whole new defensive system to tactically combat Russia.
But critics are sounding the alarm.
A new agency
Sweden has officially cleared the way for a brand-new foreign intelligence service known as UND. Operating under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the agency will take over civilian roles previously handled by the military intelligence service, MUST.
The decision follows a 2025 review led by former Prime Minister Carl Bildt. That analysis labelled previous intelligence misjudgments regarding Russia as a “systemic failure.”
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard pointed to overseas partners when explaining the structural shift. “After regaining independence, Estonia chose to build its system along similar lines,” she said at a press conference.
“The serious security policy situation requires a rapid increase in the overall capability of Sweden’s intelligence system,” Foreign Minister Stenergard said.
Pushback from the military
Military leaders are concerned about the new intelligence service. Under the new legislation, MUST will hand over its covert human intelligence to UND.
Defence officials argue that removing these tools could weaken national security. “Given the current security situation, we cannot afford to let anything fall through the cracks,” MUST chief Thomas Nilsson said in June to Aftonbladet.
Warnings are also emerging about potential security gaps. “There are concerns that gaps could emerge in intelligence work that Russia could exploit,” SVT security policy reporter John Granlund noted.
Finances pose another hurdle for the defence establishment. Supreme Commander Michael Claesson warned that funding the civilian agency might not count towards NATO’s defence targets, potentially squeezing military budgets.
Political debate grows
Opposition politicians are voicing serious doubts about how quickly the agency has come together. Lawmakers from the Left Party and the Greens have also called for stricter limits on sharing intelligence data directly with foreign partners.
“The ongoing process may create more problems than it solves,” said Håkan Svenneling, the Left Party’s foreign policy spokesperson.
Operations start on January 1, 2027. Setting up the service will cost an estimated SEK 2.8 billion. Recruitment is already moving fast, with more than 1,000 applicants competing for the initial 19 positions.
