TEMPO.CO, Stockholm - The Swedish navy has stepped up search efforts in the waters off the coast of Stockholm, between Nattaro island and Danziger Gatt, following suspicions that a Russian submarine might be experiencing trouble in the area.
Speaking to the BBC, a Swedish source said that an underwater vessel was spotted in the waters about 25 kilometers away from Stockholm. On the other hand, Russia's defense ministry denied any "irregular situation" involving its ships.
The RUssian Ministry said that it was a Dutch submarine that might have triggered Sweden's alert after carrying out exercises in the area. However, such theory has been dismissed by the Dutch defense ministry. "It was definitely not a Dutch submarine," a Dutch ministry spokeswoman in The Hague told the BBC.
"It's always about testing the Swedish response to see if we are awake and able to detect it. It's a way of testing our skills in detecting and locating," said a Swedish official to the BBC.
ANINGTIAS JATMIKA | BBC