Sweden Establishes New Civil Foreign Intelligence Agency 'Und' Amid Security Concerns

On Tuesday morning, Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard announced the creation of a new civil foreign intelligence agency named 'Und', planned to be operational by the end of 2026. This initiative aims to strengthen Sweden's intelligence capabilities in response to a deteriorating geopolitical and security environment. The new agency will focus on gathering intelligence about other countries and threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks.

The Und agency will assume some functions currently handled by the military intelligence service and collaborate closely with the Armed Forces, the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), and the Security Police (Säpo). The government emphasized that establishing separate civil and military intelligence services will clarify responsibilities and provide more comprehensive coverage of threats facing Sweden, accepting some overlap as manageable.

This development follows a 2025 report led by former Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, which underscored the necessity for Sweden to enhance its independent intelligence capabilities amid its NATO membership and changing security challenges. The government has stressed the urgency of quickly launching Und due to the serious security policy situation.

However, the plan has faced criticism, particularly from the Armed Forces, who argue that the timeline is too compressed, fearing that this rapid reorganization could disrupt ongoing intelligence operations and create potential gaps that adversaries like Russia might exploit. There are also concerns about the agency’s closeness to the government possibly affecting its independence.

Despite these concerns, the government maintains that the new agency is essential for safeguarding Sweden’s national security in an evolving threat landscape, aiming to bolster intelligence gathering and improve coordination among Sweden’s security agencies.