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Wrecked ‘Russian submarine’ found in Swedish

Hogeborn did not given the vessel’s location but according to Expressen tabloid, which published images of the wreck on its website, it was found about 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 kilometres) off the east coast of central Sweden.

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Divers from Ocean X Team claim the wreck is that of a Russian mini-submarine, highlighting Cyrillic lettering on the hull.

Belief that the mystery visitor was a Russian submarine prompted Sweden’s largest military mobilization since the end of the Cold War, but the submarine search proved unsuccessful.

Swedish Armed Forces spokesman Jesper Tengroth said there was no hurry to investigate “because the wreck was not going anywhere”, adding it is better “to come back with facts rather than speculation”.

Less than a year ago, the navy said it had detected an underwater intruder – believed to be a Russian submarine – in Sweden’s territorial waters.

Sky News reports that video of the 66-foot vessel was shot by a private company, Ocean X Team.

The military subsequently confirmed that “a mini-submarine” had violated its territorial waters, but was never able to establish the vessel’s nationality.

‘We choose not to comment on it before we have seen more material.

“We will continue the analysis together with the company in the coming days”.

But one expert quoted by the paper said he believed it was a Russian submarine that sank in 1916.

‘Our analysts have not yet presented their conclusions and want to see more images which the company will send to us, ‘.

As well as concerns surrounding Russian submarines in foreign waters, the country’s “Bear” bombers have made frequent incursions into overseas airspace.

The hatches are closed, prompting fears the crew may have died inside, he added.

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In 1981, in an incident known as “Whiskey on the Rocks”, a Soviet nuclear Whiskey-class submarine was stranded near a naval base deep inside Swedish waters after it ran aground, causing a diplomatic standoff. Kallin said the military would “not speculate”.

Last year Sweden’s navy spent days searching for a suspected Russian submarine off its east coast after reported sightings of suspicious vessels