Sweden to Launch Civilian Foreign Intelligence Service

Sweden will establish a new civilian foreign intelligence service to strengthen its ability to assess threats abroad.

The government is responding to an intelligence failure in 2022, when Sweden’s military intelligence service, along with its French and German counterparts, concluded that Russia was unlikely to invade Ukraine.

The new agency, the Utrikes underrättelsetjänst (UND), will operate alongside the military intelligence service MUST and take over some of its responsibilities, including oversight of a unit that carries out covert operations abroad. Parliament is expected to approve the reform on 13 August, with the UND due to begin work in January 2027.

The agency was proposed by former Prime Minister Carl Bildt after a review found that Sweden was strong at monitoring military developments but weaker at analyzing Russia’s political direction and leadership.

The armed forces and some opposition parties have warned that the reform is being rushed, although they support the proposal in principle.

Other European countries are also considering changes. Germany wants to loosen restrictions on its foreign intelligence service, while calls are growing for closer intelligence sharing across Europe.

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