In August last year, a comprehensive secret report ended up on the table of the Danish Social Democratic Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen.

The report describes how Danish and Swedish defense groups were intercepted by the US intelligence service NSA from Denmark.

But it also appears that the NSA also spied on Swedish politicians.

Something SVT in collaboration with Danmarks Radio and several other newsrooms can reveal today.

The report has the secret code name "Dunhammer".

Already this autumn, Danmarks Radio and SVT revealed the interception against the defense group SAAB.

Contacted the Danish Minister of Defense

After the revelation, Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist (S) chose not to publicly criticize the Danish-American espionage.

Shortly after, he contacted his Danish colleague and asked questions about the surveillance.

During that conversation, Trine Bramsen never told Hultqvist that the United States, with Danish help, also spied on Swedish politicians. 

- There is nothing that I have heard about before.

So for that reason, I have no comment at the moment, said Peter Hultqvist when SVT interviewed and informed him on May 20 this year about the wiretapping of politicians.

Initiated crisis management

After the interview, the Swedish Ministry of Defense begins crisis management with the Nordic countries and Peter Hultqvist again contacts his Danish colleague Trine Bramsen.

Can you tell us something about what you talked about?

- I take this situation seriously.

I have demanded to Denmark that we want information if it is the case that Danish systems or platforms have been included in this type of activity.

Have you asked specifically about which people it is about?

- What I have clarified is that what we want information about are Swedish companies, Swedish interests and Swedish citizens.

It is specified.

What do you think about the fact that you may have been tapped?

- This is not about a specific person.

This is about a principle.

To make me, for example, in this it does not improve the situation, says Peter Hultqvist, who has been Sweden's Minister of Defense since 2014.

Hultqvist: "Required full information"

What do you think about the fact that the Danish Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen received a report on her desk last autumn and you spoke after that and she did not say that Swedish politicians had been intercepted?

- Today I limit myself to saying that we have demanded full information about these things that concern Swedish citizens, Swedish companies, Swedish interests.

And now we will see how the political response will be from the Danish side.

SVT has applied to the NSA and the Danish intelligence service Forsvarets Etterettningstjenste (FE) for an interview without results.

The Danish Minister of Defense writes in a statement that the Danish government can not speculate about media reports, but adds that systematic interception of close allies is "unacceptable".

Tonight, Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist will appear on SVT Agenda.

The revelation of "Operation Dunhammer" has been led by Danmarks Radio and is a collaboration between newsrooms on SVT, NRK, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Le Monde, WDR, NDR.

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So the spy scandal unfolded.

SVT's reporter Knut Kainz Rognerud explains how the secret report "Dunhammer" was the starting shot for the Danish spy scandal.

Photo: Sebastian Strandberg / SVT