The Swedish government has actively begun establishing a new foreign intelligence service — Sveriges utrikes underrättelsetjänst (UND). In terms of its functions, it will be comparable to Britain’s MI6. The decision to reform was taken after a reassessment of the work of the special services against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The new agency is due to begin operations on 1 January 2027. It will be responsible for collecting, processing and analysing information on external threats to Sweden — including the actions of foreign states, terrorism, cyber threats, hybrid operations and risks to Swedish interests abroad. UND will report to the government (through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and work closely with the Armed Forces, the Security Service Säpo and the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), which is responsible for signals intelligence.
Some of the tasks currently performed by the military intelligence service MUST (Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten) will be transferred to the new service. This includes certain units involved in agent operations abroad. MUST itself will remain in place and will focus on purely military aspects.
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stressed that the war in Ukraine has clearly shown that information superiority and the ability to rapidly adapt technical systems are no less important than modern weapons. “We face a serious security situation and every day we confront a broad and complex threat landscape,” she said. In addition, Sweden’s accession to NATO has required better alignment with the intelligence structures of its allies.
The reform is a response to criticism: Swedish military intelligence, like a number of other European services, failed to predict Russia’s full-scale invasion in time, despite signs of military preparations. An inquiry led by former Prime Minister Carl Bildt identified a structural gap — the absence of an independent civilian foreign intelligence service oriented primarily towards the government rather than the armed forces.
Around 2.8 billion Swedish kronor (approximately USD 300 million) has been allocated for UND’s first year of operations. Most of the funding will be transferred from the armed forces budget. Several hundred staff are planned for the initial phase. Work on establishing the agency is already under way: facilities with enhanced security are being prepared, and procedures for protecting agents (including the use of cover identities and forged documents) are being put in place.Some representatives of military circles have warned of the risks of too rapid a transition amid the high level of threats from Russia. Nevertheless, the government considers the reform necessary to improve the overall effectiveness of Sweden’s intelligence system. The bill has already been submitted to parliament, with a vote expected in the near future.