Swedish Prime Minister Going to Moscow To Resolve 'Periscope Problem'

This intelligence assessment, published by IZVESTIYA on February 3, 1993, details the diplomatic mission of Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt to Moscow. The primary objective of the visit was to address the long-standing 'periscope problem'—the recurring issue of unidentified foreign submarines violating Swedish territorial waters. The document highlights that the Swedish government sought to obtain an admission from Russian authorities regarding these incursions, which the Swedish leadership had historically attributed to Soviet submarines. The report notes that the issue had become a point of significant political contention within Sweden. It mentions that Commodore Carl Andersson had previously dismissed the submarine incursions as a 'figment of the imagination similar to flying saucers,' reflecting the internal skepticism regarding the validity of the claims. Furthermore, the document cites Wilhelm Agrell, a specialist on peace and conflict, who argued that the matter was too serious to be handled with the current level of discretion. The authors suggest that the Swedish side lacked conclusive evidence, noting that recordings of underwater noises were of poor quality and that a prize offered for evidence of border violations remained unclaimed. The assessment concludes by noting that the Russian Navy's Main Staff had failed to provide clear proof of any such incursions since 1981, and that the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Bildt and President B. Yeltsin was intended to establish a pledge of cooperation to resolve the issue.