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'Wrecked submarine' found in Swedish waters Wrecked Russian submarine 'sank in 1916'
(about 20 hours later)
Sweden is investigating a report that a submarine wreck has been discovered in the country's territorial waters. A submarine wreck found off Sweden is probably a Russian vessel from World War One, the Swedish military says.
The military says it is now studying video footage of the wreck taken by divers off Sweden's eastern coast. There had been speculation that the remains were much more recent - those of a suspected Russian vessel, spotted near Stockholm last year.
The divers from Ocean X Team and Ixplorer claim they have found a Russian mini-submarine, pointing to Cyrillic letters on the hull. The Swedish Armed Forces examined footage filmed by divers from the Ocean X team who found the remains.
Last year, Sweden's military were engaged in an extensive hunt for a suspected Russian submarine. In a statement (in Swedish) the military said the wreckage was probably a Russian submarine that sank in 1916.
Naval vessels and planes were involved in the search in the Stockholm archipelago in October, but the operation was called off after one week. Last October saw Swedish naval vessels and military planes carrying out an extensive search operation after sightings of what was alleged to be a present-day Russian submarine.
Russia's defence ministry has denied any of its ships were involved. The operation was called off after one week and Russia's defence ministry always denied any of its ships were involved.
Russia's annexation of Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula last year and Moscow's continuing support for separatist rebels in Ukraine's east have fuelled suspicion about its intentions towards other neighbouring states, notably in the Baltic. Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula and Moscow's continuing support for separatist rebels in Ukraine have fuelled suspicion about its intentions towards other neighbouring states, notably in the Baltic.
'Completely intact''Completely intact'
The Swedish military says it is too early to say definitively that the wreck is indeed that of a submarine. The wreck of what is thought to be a World War One vessel was discovered by Ocean X Team and Ixplorer last week.
Spokesman Jesper Tengroth said on Monday it was better "to come back with facts rather than speculation", the Associated Press news agency reports. The company said the vessel was about 20m (66ft) long and 3.5m wide and was "completely intact", with its hatches closed.
Earlier, Ocean X said in a statement it had found "a Russian mini-submarine... not far from the Swedish coast". Military spokesman Jesper Tengroth told the Local newspaper that the video material suggested it was a Russian "Som" submarine "which sank after it collided with a Swedish submarine in 1916".
The company said the vessel was about 20m (66ft) long and 3.5m wide. They said it was no longer a matter for the armed forces and had been reported to the government.
"It is unclear how old the submarine is and how long it has been laying at the sea floor, but the Cyrillic letters on the hull indicates that it is Russian." Dennis Asberg, a partner in Ocean X Team, told Reuters that they planned to re-examine the vessel to confirm its origins.
It added that the submarine was "completely intact", and its hatches were closed. "I am 99.9% sure it's from 1916, but the next step is to go down again and confirm it," he added.
Ocean X's Stefan Hogeborn was quoted as saying he feared the crew had not been able to escape when the vessel went down.
One expert quoted in the Swedish press suggested the wreck might be that of a Russian submarine that sank in 1916.