The Swedish Army announced on Tuesday that it has requested the government to expropriate a property located near a naval base in the Stockholm archipelago, which is owned by a Russian citizen with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, according to AFP.
This property is situated at one of the entrances to the Muskö naval base, approximately 60 kilometers south of Stockholm, the army stated in a press release.
According to the newspaper Expressen, the property—a villa—belongs to Russian businessman Stanislav Aleschenko, who has connections to Vladimir Putin, although it is officially registered in his wife’s name.
The Swedish Army emphasized that this location “provides unique conditions for strengthening the defense of the Muskö naval base, particularly against drones.”
“The evolution of the war waged by Russia with the aid of drones has changed the threat landscape facing Sweden,” the army noted.
“Therefore, measures must be taken to protect Sweden against threats posed by both aerial and maritime drones,” the statement added.
The Swedish Fortifications Agency, responsible for managing defense-related real estate, has thus requested the government to take ownership of this property.
Public broadcaster SVT reported that the property owned by the Russian businessman had become “a trial stone for the armed forces.”
“We are facing the most serious security situation since the end of World War II, and the threat to Sweden and the Alliance is real,” stated the Chief of Staff of the Swedish Army, Carl-Johan Edström, referring to NATO.
Sweden ended its two centuries of military non-alignment and joined NATO in 2024, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
