In February 2019, the then 45-year-old Swedish consultant Kristian Dimitrievski and Russian embassy counselor Yevgenij Umerenko were arrested at a restaurant in central Stockholm, suspected of espionage. It has previously been unknown what exactly the industrial espionage against Scania and Volvo cars was about.
See the entire series: “The Shadow War”
Hard drives were handed over to SVR officer
At one point in the extensive preliminary investigation, which is largely classified, it is clear what Russia was interested in with the Swedish companies. It says that it is about “sensitive material from Scania about autonomous vehicles that are outside the suspect’s duties”.
Kristian Dimitrievski handed over programming code about self-driving vehicles on external hard drives and memory sticks to the Russian diplomat Umerenko for payment. Säpo confirms for Task Review that Umerenko is also an officer in the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR.
Of great interest to Russia
Now the Security Police confirms, in SVT, DR, NRK and YLE’s investigative documentary series “The Shadow War”that the information can also be used for military purposes.
– We can state that Russia has a great interest in this and that it can strengthen both their domestic industry but also their military capabilities, says counterintelligence chief Daniel Stenling.
So can this information also be used militarily?
– Our assessment is that it can be used militarily and strengthen the military capability.
Kristian Dimitrievski was sentenced against his denial in the Court of Appeal for espionage to three years in prison. The SVR officer and diplomat Umerenko was able, with reference to diplomatic immunity, to leave Sweden a short time after the arrest.
