Sweden seeks to expropriate Russian-owned property near naval base

Sweden’s Armed Forces have asked the government to expropriate a property owned by a Russian citizen near the Muskö naval base in the Stockholm archipelago, arguing that its location and ownership pose a national security risk.

The Swedish Fortifications Agency, which manages defence-related property, submitted the request to the government on Tuesday on behalf of the Armed Forces. The property is located at one of the approaches to Muskö Naval Base in Haninge and is described by the military as the only site in the area that it does not control and that is needed to establish an effective defence of the base, particularly against drones.

The request comes as Sweden reassesses its security environment following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its growing use of drones in warfare. The Swedish military said the development of Russian drone warfare had changed the threat landscape and that measures were needed to protect Sweden against both airborne and maritime drones.

“The security situation requires us to act and not accept the risk that the current ownership of this property entails,” Lieutenant General Carl-Johan Edström, chief of the Defence Staff, said. “Current conditions do not benefit Sweden and NATO, they benefit Russia.”

Edström also described Sweden as facing its most serious security situation since the end of the Second World War, saying the threat to Sweden and the alliance was real.

The property occupies a hill overlooking the bay south of the base, giving it what the Fortifications Agency considers particularly favourable geographical and infrastructural conditions for installing systems designed to detect and counter drones. The agency says the location is uniquely suited to strengthening the protection of the naval base.

The government will now consider the expropriation request. Under Swedish law, expropriation involves the compulsory transfer of property ownership in return for financial compensation.

Russian businessman linked to the property

Swedish media have identified the property as a large luxury house that has been under construction for several years. According to Expressen, Russian businessman Stanislav Aleshchenko is behind the project. The property is formally registered in the name of his wife, Tatiana Sazonova.

The house covers around 600 square metres and is built partly into the rock. Swedish authorities have previously linked Aleshchenko to the Russian political establishment, while the Armed Forces now describe the owner as a security threat.

Sazonova has previously rejected suggestions that the property presented a security risk or could be used for intelligence gathering. In an interview with Expressen, she said she had not known about the property’s proximity to the naval base when she bought it, describing the location as an “unfortunate coincidence”.

The military’s decision reflects a broader change in how Sweden views strategically located private property. In June, the government appointed an inquiry to examine changes to the Expropriation Act that would make it easier to act against property holdings that could threaten national security. The government said existing possibilities for expropriation were limited and that new powers could be needed to prevent properties being used for sabotage, intelligence gathering or other hostile activities.

A wider security concern

The Muskö case comes amid a series of incidents that have sharpened Swedish concerns about Russian intelligence and security threats.

Earlier this month, two Russian citizens were detained after camping near a property connected to Saab CEO Micael Johansson. Swedish broadcaster SVT reported that the property was associated with Johansson, who has personal protection because of his role at the defence company. Police launched a preliminary investigation into suspected trespassing and preparation for aggravated theft, although the couple’s detention was later lifted and their lawyer said they had not been formally notified of any criminal suspicion.

Also in August, Sweden’s Security Service, Säpo, said it had disrupted a Russian intelligence operation aimed at influencing Swedish decision-making and discrediting Sweden, NATO and the EU. The operation had allegedly been planned and directed by Russia’s foreign intelligence service, SVR, and involved an agent working at a foreign diplomatic mission in Sweden.

The cases come as Sweden adjusts to its new role inside NATO. After more than two centuries of military non-alignment, Stockholm joined the alliance in 2024 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

From overlooked property to national security issue

Across the Nordic region, the security implications of foreign ownership of strategically located property have become increasingly prominent.

For years, Russian individuals and comtipanies acquired property in sensitive areas of Finland and Sweden, sometimes close to military installations, maritime routes and other critical infrastructure. These purchases were often treated primarily as commercial or tourism investments, while concerns over their potential security implications remained secondary.

One of the most prominent cases emerged in Finland in 2018, when authorities conducted a large-scale operation against properties linked to Airiston Helmi, a Russian-owned real estate and tourism company in the Turku archipelago. Hundreds of officials took part in searches of 17 properties, where authorities seized around €3.5 million in cash. The properties had included helipads, extensive docking facilities and monitoring and satellite communications systems. The subsequent investigation focused on financial crimes, and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation later closed the money-laundering probe for lack of evidence.

Sources: EUalive’s partner European Pravda, expressen.se, STV.se, aftonbladet.se

Caption: Aerial view from the Haninge municipality archive showing the original house on the plot before Stanislav Aleshchenko had it demolished to build a 600-square-meter concrete bunker near the Muskö naval base.