The threat looming over Sweden: how the country is preparing for a possible war and learning from Ukraine

Sweden's support for Ukraine is unprecedented. The governing coalition and opposition are united in their political backing, and the public is wholeheartedly rooting for Ukraine to win. Blue and yellow flags are visible throughout Stockholm, solidarity events take place regularly, and Ukrainians can use public transport free of charge. With the February aid package included, Sweden's total military assistance to Ukraine has reached SEK 128 billion (over €11 billion).

However, as tensions escalate in the Baltic region, concern is growing within Sweden itself. At a meeting with journalists in Stockholm, Ukraine's Ambassador to Sweden, Svitlana Zalishchuk, highlighted the persistent cyber threat to Swedish infrastructure.

Sweden regularly records incursions into its airspace by Russian fighter jets and the presence of Russian submarines near key maritime routes. Espionage is also becoming an increasingly pressing concern: suspicious individuals are more frequently seen photographing and filming critical infrastructure. Stockholm recognises that these are not isolated incidents, but part of Russia's broader preparations for hybrid warfare.

This is precisely why Sweden relies on its unique concept of Total Defence, which was officially reintroduced in 2015, following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the start of its aggression in Ukraine's east.

Every state agency and local authority has a clearly defined protocol to follow if the situation escalates. Emergency preparedness drills are compulsory for all organisations, with no exceptions, and are held annually. The country also regularly tests its mass alert system. I happened to hear it last summer while visiting a friend in Uppsala. The siren has an unusual, low, muffled sound, somewhat like the distant rumble of heavy lorries.

In a crisis, national radio will serve as a vital link between the state and the public. Sweden's official preparedness leaflet, In case of crisis or war, which is distributed to every home by the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, lists a battery-powered radio among the essential items people should keep at home. It is Sveriges Radio (P4 channel) that has been designated as the official source of emergency information, which will continue broadcasting even in the event of a total blackout or a communications collapse.

Sweden's public broadcaster is now looking closely at how Ukraine has managed to keep broadcasting throughout the war. At meetings with Sveriges Radio's management, including Director-General Cilla Benkö and her deputy, Gabriel Byström, the focus was on practical solutions: ensuring newsrooms can operate without a reliable power supply, keeping broadcasts on air during bombardments and protecting journalists from burnout.

Commercial media outlets are not lagging behind either. Fredrik Malmberg, head of news at TV4, one of Sweden's largest television networks, said the channel has drawn up several contingency plans for wartime operations – right down to setting up backup offices for teams in the event of an attack on its main broadcasting facilities.

Sweden set up its own Psychological Defence Agency in 2022 to counter disinformation and study hostile information campaigns and psychological operations. In collaboration with Fojo Media Institute, the agency provides specialist training for professional journalists. Leading editorial offices, meanwhile, have been designated as high-alert facilities.

Ukraine remains a prominent subject in Swedish media outlets, regardless of their political leanings. Aftonbladet, one of Sweden's leading centre-left newspapers, published an op-ed with the telling headline "A Russian victory will cost twice as much as aid to Ukraine", openly urging the government to commit at least 1% of GDP to supporting Ukraine and to invest in its victory, not merely its survival.

Meanwhile, Isobel Hadley-Kamptz, a columnist for the respected centrist newspaper Dagens Nyheter, takes aim at Donald Trump in her article "Trump has always wanted Russia to win", accusing him of playing into Moscow's hands. She argues that pressuring Kyiv to make territorial concessions would threaten the security of Europe as a whole – a danger Sweden is well aware of.

During off-the-record meetings, we kept being asked the same questions: how to work as a journalist during a full-scale war, how to retain people in the profession and keep them alive, and how to deal with the challenges we face. The measures Sweden is taking now will undoubtedly help its society withstand the worst-case scenario.

Yet, looking at Sweden's peaceful, thriving streets, I had just one thought: I would not wish on anyone in the world what Ukraine is going through.

The trip to Stockholm took place as part of the Women Leaders in Media programme, organised by the NGO Women in Media with backing from International Media Support (IMS).

Khrystyna Golovko