Sweden’s military has asked the government to expropriate a Russian-owned property near the Muskö Naval Base in the Stockholm archipelago.
Sweden’s military has asked the government to expropriate a Russian-owned property near the Muskö Naval Base in the Stockholm archipelago, saying the site is needed to strengthen defenses against aerial and maritime drones, according to Euronews.
Located along one of the approaches to the base, the property is the only site in the immediate area that remains outside military control.
The Swedish Fortifications Agency submitted the expropriation request, which requires government approval before the acquisition can proceed.
A 600-square-meter (6,460-square-foot) concrete house, partly embedded in a rock, is currently under construction on the property.
Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Russian businessman Stanislav Aleschenko is behind the project, although his wife, Tatiana Sazonova, is the site’s registered owner.
Swedish authorities cited by the newspaper said Aleschenko has connections to the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and poses a security threat to the Swedish Armed Forces.
Sazonova previously told Expressen that she was unaware of the nearby naval base when she purchased the land, describing the location as an “unfortunate coincidence.”
She also rejected claims that the property posed a security risk or could be used for intelligence gathering.
Growing Concerns Over Russia
The expropriation request comes amid growing Swedish concern over Russia’s military intentions and hybrid activities in the Baltic region.
In June, Sweden’s parliamentary defense committee warned that Moscow could move against NATO countries “in the relatively near future” if the Kremlin considered the political conditions favorable.
Earlier assessments from Sweden’s Military Intelligence and Security Service also pointed to increased Russian hybrid activity and an ongoing military build-up around the strategically important Baltic Sea.
Such concerns have shaped Sweden’s defense policy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting the country to join NATO in 2024 and increase military spending.
Stockholm expects its defense budget to rise from 2.8 percent of gross domestic product this year to 3.5 percent by 2030.
