Drones over nuclear power plants attract attention from spy agency

Sweden's domestic intelligence service is looking into drones spotted hovering near three nuclear power plants last week

The Swedish Security Service confirmed on Monday it was leading an investigation into drones seen near the nation's three nuclear power plants, amid concerns the country isn't prepared for the threat of the aerial devices.

Sweden’s police force was initially tasked with probing the drone sightings after they were reported over two sites in Forsmark, north of Stockholm, and Oskarshamn, in the southeast.

The Swedish Security Service, known as SAPO, took over the investigation after a third reported sighting near the largest nuclear power site in the nation, located in Ringhals on the western coast.

Police were first alerted to the situation on Friday but lost track of the unmanned aerial device. Officials claimed it had been large enough to cope with the strong winds in the area at the time.

“With regard to the cases of drone overflights at three nuclear power plants, the assessment is made that they are of such a nature that preliminary investigations have been taken over from the police authority in order to be able to investigate the incidents in more detail,” SAPO said in a statement.

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Authorities have not announced any suspects behind the drone incidents so far.

Associate professor with the Swedish National Defense College Hans Liwang, quoted by local media, said that the country is not prepared for potential drone threats, as officials “have not really adapted … to today’s reality.”

The Ringhals 2 reactor was shut down in 2019 due to maintenance costs and a lack of profitability. It followed the decommissioning of two facilities elsewhere in the country, in Agesta and Barseback.