A wave of sabotage against telecom infrastructure in southern and eastern Sweden has prompted a major criminal investigation, after more than 30 telecommunications towers were found damaged in recent weeks. The Swedish Police and the Post and Telecom Authority (Post- och telestyrelsen, PTS) are treating the incidents as deliberate attacks, with suspicions that a coordinated effort may be behind them.
Pattern of attacks along E22
The majority of the affected telecom towers are located along the E22 highway, which runs down Sweden’s east coast through the regions of Småland and Östergötland. The attackers did not steal any equipment but systematically cut cables and damaged fuses, disrupting local mobile networks in some areas.
According to Roger Gustafsson, head of security at PTS, the pattern is highly unusual: “We have received reports from a geographically limited area, which makes this stand out.” Although no large-scale outages have been reported, PTS has at times activated a crisis response unit to monitor and manage the situation.
Investigation suggests a single perpetrator
Swedish Police have not confirmed any motive and say they are keeping all possibilities open. However, according to chief prosecutor Michelle Stein, who leads the investigation, there are “circumstances that suggest a connection between the cases.” The Department for Serious Crimes in Kalmar is coordinating efforts across the affected regions.
Police commissioner Håkan Wessung stated that authorities are conducting extensive information gathering and analysis. “We take this seriously and have initiated a dedicated operation,” he said.
Rise in threats to critical infrastructure
The attacks are part of a broader increase in incidents targeting critical national infrastructure. Teracom, the state-owned provider of communication towers for TV, radio, and other services, reported a sharp rise in such cases: 15 incidents were recorded in the first four months of 2024, compared to around 50 during the same period in 2025.
Stefan Steijnick, head of security at Teracom, noted that some of the sabotage attempts may be linked to intelligence gathering or testing national resilience. “We assume some of these reports may be tied to attempts to observe how we react and manage such events,” he told SVT.
Sweden’s Security Service (Säkerhetspolisen) has confirmed it is monitoring the investigation but has not taken over the case. For now, responsibility remains with the regional police units.
