Sweden cyberattack: Minister says pro-Russian group targeted heating plant in 2023

Sweden says a pro-Russian group with links to Russia's security and intelligence services was behind a failed cyberattack on a heating plant in western Sweden last year. Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin cited similar incidents in Poland and noted wider regional warnings that critical infrastructure across Europe is being targeted.

AP Sweden reported on Wednesday that a pro-Russian group carried out a cyberattack last year. AP said the group had ties to Russia’s security and intelligence services. The reported target was a heating plant in western Sweden. Officials said the attempt failed, and no wider damage was confirmed.

The report came after officials in Poland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia warned of threats to key services. Those governments said Russia was attacking critical infrastructure across Europe. Sweden publicly addressed the heating plant incident for the first time. Sweden’s minister for civil defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, offered no further technical details.

Cyberattack on critical infrastructure linked to Russia

Bohlin said the attack focused on systems that control essential infrastructure. Bohlin said such operations could carry serious risks for society. Bohlin also said the Swedish case matched patterns seen in Poland. Bohlin said the incidents showed Russia was acting in a risky, careless way.

Bohlin pointed to incidents in Poland in December. Coordinated cyberattacks struck combined heat and power plants there. The plants supplied heat to almost 500,000 customers. Wind and solar farms were also hit. Poland later said evidence suggested the hackers were directly linked to Russian services.

Cyberattack warnings across Europe on critical infrastructure

Danish officials said cyberattacks carried out by Russia in 2024 hit a water utility. The disruption left some houses without water, officials said. In Norway, police said in August that pro-Russian hackers opened a dam valve remotely. Police said water then poured out of the dam.

In Latvia, the State Security Service said in March that arson targeted rail assets. Officials said a train and railway infrastructure were set on fire. Latvia said the people involved acted in Russia’s interests. The cases added to concerns about wider threats to European services.

Cyberattack incidents tracked since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The attacks were part of a broader pattern tracked by The Associated Press. AP linked the activity to Russia through Western officials. It said more than 150 incidents of sabotage and malign actions were recorded across Europe. The count covered the period since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Officials said the operations aimed to weaken support for Ukraine. Officials also said the incidents sought to spread fear and discord in European societies. Another stated aim was to drain investigative and security resources. The Kremlin previously denied running any sabotage campaign across Europe.

With inputs from PTI