Whiskey on the Rocks Volume 2: The Swedish-Soviet Confrontation, 1981

On 27 October 1981 the Soviet Navy’s Whisky-class submarine S-363 of the Baltic Fleet ran aground on the south coast of Sweden, close to Naval Base Karlskrona, one of Sweden’s largest military bases. The incident triggered a grave diplomatic and military crisis.

Upon discovery, Swedish navy and army units quickly surrounded the submarine, and closed off the immediate area. Surveillance of Sweden’s sea and land borders intensified. Swedish intelligence stepped up activities against Soviet Navy activities and communications. A tense diplomatic game began over the fate of the stranded submarine and its crew. The Soviets claimed that the submarine had entered Swedish waters by accident, and demanded that it be allowed to leave without further inspection of the vessel or interrogation of its crew. The Swedes demanded further clarification with regard to the submarine’s mission and activities. Meanwhile, Swedish technical intelligence concluded that the submarine carried nuclear weapons, ultimately identified as torpedoes with nuclear warheads. The submarine crew took measures to blow up the submarine, in case Swedish special forces would storm the vessel – a contingency that the Swedish Armed Forces indeed prepared for.