Confirmed: Russian cyber attack to blackmail Swedish athletes

The Swedish Sports Confederation was subjected to data intrusion between December 2017 and May 2018. According to DN, the Russian hacker group Fancy Bear was behind the attack.

The security police have investigated the incident.

- The preliminary investigation shows that it is the Russian military intelligence service GRU that has planned and carried out the serious data breach against the Swedish Sports Confederation.

We can also state that the intrusion was part of a Russian campaign aimed at national and international anti-doping organizations such as WADA and USADA and against the International Football Association FIFA, says chamber prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist in an article on the Public Prosecutor's Office's website.

GRU came across personal information from Swedish athletes and the purpose was to paint them black.

National team player Olivia Schough was incorrectly hung out as doped.

- I was furious then and I'm no less furious after this.

But it is still mixed with a feeling of, "how nice that prosecutors and police point out the culprits".

Then we get at least that restoration.

For me as a sports leader, it is a hundred miles away from what sports stand for, says Björn Eriksson to SVT Sport.

- This is how bandits like this come and do it this way, it is completely unacceptable.

"Russia blacks Sweden"

Today, they chose to close the preliminary investigation.

- In light of the fact that the actors act for a foreign power, in this case Russia, we make the assessment that the conditions for prosecution abroad or extradition to Sweden are lacking by the people who are suspected of being behind the intrusion.

That is why I have today decided to close the preliminary investigation, says Mats Ljungqvist.

Daniel Stenling, unit manager for counterintelligence at the Security Police:

- The security police know that Russia conducts security-threatening activities against Sweden.

Through cyber attacks and advocacy campaigns, sometimes aimed at targets that may seem unrelated to Sweden's security, Russia is trying to blacken Sweden and have its own purposes met, says Stenling.