Wennerstrom, Swede who spied for Moscow, dies at 99

STOCKHOLM, Mar 28 (Reuters) Sweden's most notorious Cold War spy Stig Wennerstrom, known to his Soviet spymasters by the codename ''the Eagle'', has died at the age of 99, Swedish media reported today.

Wennerstrom, a group captain in the Swedish air force, was caught after a tip-off from a housemaid who had been recruited by suspicious Swedish counter-intelligence agents and saw him hiding films in the attic of his Stockholm house.

Sentenced to life imprisonment with forced labour in 1963 for spying for the Soviet Union, Wennerstrom was freed in 1974 for good behaviour. He died last week at a home for the elderly, the media said.

Wennerstrom, a Russian speaker, was recruited while serving as air attache at Sweden's Moscow embassy from 1948 to 1952.

Among the thousands of documents he handed over were details of Sweden's air defence systems and military cooperation between officially neutral Sweden and the United States.

He said in a recent interview that he had no regrets about betraying his country.

REUTERS DKS RK1530